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.

Possibly The Lowest Priced Cruise You Will See In 2014

If you’ve got to move an idle ship between ports, you might as well sell it as a cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line needs to get Norwegian Spirit from Malaga, Spain to Barcelona, Spain. Instead of sending an empty ship up the Mediterranean coast, they’re selling it as a two night Mediterranean cruise. It might be a short trip, but the price is right at as low as $22 per person per night, before taxes.

Why would you want to board this ship? This is a nice break for people already touring Western Europe by land. For two nights, a couple can have an outside or inside stateroom for a taxes included grand total of just $169.06 in Canadian dollars. That’s $84.50 per night. Nowhere in Western Europe are you going to get a hotel room for that price. And, this one has an all-you-can-eat buffet and an ever-changing view included.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Spirit embarks from Malaga, Spain on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 7pm. After a full day at sea on Thursday, Spirit arrives at Barcelona on Friday, January 24 at 5am. The backpacking hostel-hopping culture, or vagabonders, are warming to the idea of cruise ships as a form of transportation. This is a fine example of why. It’s an inexpensive way to get out of the hostels and have a luxury break, even if just for a few days.

Unfortunately, this two night cruise doesn’t act very well as a primer to a larger, longer cruise out of Barcelona. Norwegian Spirit has no availability until a nine night Western Europe cruise on February 11. If you can handle a few days in Barcelona, both the MSC Splendida and Costa Pacifica embark on seven night Mediterranean cruises on January 27.

The Price

Just $44 per person per night for either an outside or inside stateroom, of course equates to just $22 per night. Government fees and taxes are even quite reasonable at $40.53 per person. The total price for two can be had for as low as $169.06, taxes and fees included. Once again, that’s in Canadian dollars, not Euros!

The Ship 

Norwegian Spirit was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and was originally put in service in 1998 as the SuperStar Leo of the defunct Star Cruises. In 2004, Norwegian Cruise Line obtained the ship and renamed her Spirit. She is one of one Leo Class ship in the Norwegian fleet.

Spirit is a smaller ship with a gross tonnage of 75,388. She is 268 metres or 879 feet in length and has a capacity for 2,018 passengers, along with 962 crew members. There are ten 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.

Catch Holland America's MS Maasdam From Montreal Starting May 31, 2014

Living in Eastern Canada and don’t want to stray too far from home to experience a world class cruise ship? No problem. MS Maasdam of Holland America Line will spend from the end of May, 2014 to mid October, 2014 calling Montreal, Quebec its home port.

Currently, the lowest price to get on board MS Maasdam at Montreal is from $699.94 per person for a seven night cruise. This price applies to an inside stateroom on the May 31 sailing from Montreal to Boston, Massachusetts. This is the first sailing of the year out of Montreal.

The Cruise

 

The seven night Canada / New England cruise on Holland America’s MS Maasdam embarks from Montreal, Quebec at 4pm on Saturday, May 31, 2014. The ship arrives at Boston on Saturday, June 7 at 7am. Along the way, the ship makes five port calls, four in Canada and one in the United States.

The first stop is on day two at Quebec City. On Sunday, June 1 from 7am to 5pm, Maasdam is docked at one of Canada’s most historic cities. After a day leaving the St. Lawrence River and entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Maasdam arrives at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on Tuesday, June 3. She stays at the PEI capital from 8am to 5pm.

Next up is Sydney, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island from 8am to 4pm on Wednesday, June 4. The following day, Maasdam heads down the Nova Scotia coast to the provincial capital of Halifax. She docks at Halifax from 8am to 4pm on Thursday, June 5.

The only U.S. port of call is visited on Friday, June 6. Maasdam is docked at the summer paradise of Bar Harbor, Maine from 8am to 5pm.

Why is this cruise so inexpensive? Normally, the same cruise runs anywhere from just over $1,000 per person to over $5,000 for just an inside stateroom. However, May 31 can still be a little unpredictable weather wise and the leaves may not even be out on the trees yet for some stretches of the journey. However, you would get a chance to visit five great ports just outside of the busy summer season.

The Price

This cruise can currently be had for as low as $699.94 per person for an inside stateroom. Government taxes and fees are a little steep at $240.08 per person. After all, Canada is still doing its best to be the highest taxed country in the world. Total for two, including taxes and fees, for an inside stateroom starts from $1,880.04.

Other rates include Ocean View staterooms starting at just $819.66 per person. The lowest priced suite on board the MS Maasdam starts from $1,901.90 per person.

The Ship

MS Maasdam and MS Statendam are the oldest active vessels in the Holland American Line fleet, both put in service in 1993. Maasdam is one of four Statendam Class ships, along with MS Ryndam and MS Veendam.

Built by Fincantieri in Italy, Maasdam is a small ship with a gross tonnage of just 55,575. The ship is 220 metres or 722 feet in length. There are nine passenger decks accessible to the capacity 1,258 guest. 580 crew members are on board to make things run smooth.

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.