blog

Princess Cruises to Base Ship Year Round in San Francisco

Princess Cruises announced today that for the first time it will base a ship in San Francisco year round, beginning in May 2013. The extensively renovated Grand Princess will first offer a series of Alaska cruises during the summer months from the "City by the Bay," followed by a schedule of Hawaiian Islands, Mexico and the California Coast sailings during the fall 2013 to spring 2014 season. Last year the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess underwent the largest drydock in Princess Cruises history, adding a host of new features so that passengers will enjoy the same onboard experience as offer...Read More...

Couples to be can create their dream wedding with Destination Weddings by Cruise Planners

Cruise Planners/American Express franchise owner Jeff & Kimberly Jacoby, a home-based travel advisor located in Madera, CA now offers couples-to-be the opportunity to create their ultimate dream wedding through Destination Weddings by Cruise Planners, a complete wedding planning service for shore side ceremonies and celebrations in ports of call around the globe.   The new wedding planning service is a partnership between Cruise Planners/American Express and Imagine Weddings and Events, an international full-service wedding and event company. Through this partnership, the Jacoby'...Read More...

The World is Now More Accessible Than Ever - Explore and Enjoy It!

The world is now more accessible than ever before. Twenty percent (62 million) of the U.S. population has some form of disability, and the number of these individuals is increasing daily. These people need to, want to, and can travel. If you’re part of that twenty percent, a world of travel awaits you.   Travel professionals such as myself who are accessible travel advocates certified by Special Needs Group www.specialneedsgroup.com, the leading global provider of special needs equipment for the travel industry, have unique, specialized knowledge about how to help individuals w...Read More...

Princess cruises from the West Coast.

West Coast Sailings. Princess cruises from the West Coast take on a new dimension with two homeports -- Los Angeles and now, San Francisco which will see Grand Princess based there year-round. New three- and four-day sampler cruises aboard Golden Princess add a new shorter vacation option to the line-up of sailings to Hawaii, Mexico, the California Coast and even the South Pacific with 28-day Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa sailings from Los Angeles. In total, four ships will sail on 14 different itineraries from West Coast ports, ranging from three to 28 days. Three ships, Grand Princess, Star ...Read More...

Vegetarian & Vegan menu options.

Holland America Line now offers a full 22-item vegetarian menu. The menu includes both vegetarian and vegan appetizers, salads, soups and main entrees. It is available for lunch and dinner, at no extra cost, in the main dining rooms of all 15 Holland America ships. In addition, 30 new meatless dishes will be added to the main dining room menu. These items also will be featured as a second vegetarian option in the Lido buffet during lunch.Read More...

A Gift Registry for Travel. Now that’s Pure Genius.

Here’s the scoop. Did you know that you can registry your vacation as gifts? You can and it’s so easy to do. It works just like any other gift registry for bridal showers, baby showers, graduations, bar/bat mitzvahs, quinces, milestone birthdays and,well, pretty much anything. Basically, if you’re celebrating an event with a trip be it on a cruise or at an all-inclusive, instead of getting more “stuff” for your house, let your friends and family contribute to your trip! China breaks and collects dust. Wouldn’t you rather see it? Create memories that last ...Read More...

Cruising: the best value in vacations

Here are 5 Great Reasons to Set Sail!   It’s practically all inclusive! Your upfront cruise fare includes: All your meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snacks and even room service Fabulous entertainment – Nightly shows, comedy, jazz, nightclubs, parades and more Onboard fun – such as surfing, rock-climbing, bocce ball, and movies under the stars Accommodations – enjoy breakfast or room service out on your balcony, while enjoying the best ocean views around Unpack once and your floating hotel goes from port to port. The best part is you can...Read More...

The World is Now More Accessible Than Ever - Explore and Enjoy It!

The world is now more accessible than ever before. Twenty percent (62 million) of the U.S. population has some form of disability, and the number of these individuals is increasing daily. These people need to, want to, and can travel. If you’re part of that twenty percent, a world of travel awaits you.   Travel professionals such as myself who are accessible travel advocates certified by Special Needs Group www.specialneedsgroup.com, the leading global provider of special needs equipment for the travel industry, have unique, specialized knowledge about how to help individuals w...Read More...

Hits and Myths

What do the “Abominable Snowman”, the “Loch Ness Monster” and “Booking Cruises Directly with the Cruise Line is Cheaper” all have in common?  Answer: They are all myths.  While we may not be experts on the first two subjects, at Cruise Planners we can certainly shed some light about direct booking myths.   First of all, let’s face it, a sales representative at a cruise line gets paid to sell only their company whether it’s the right product for you or not.  They will never recommend the competition.  That should be e...Read More...

Precious Cargo Aboard

Family vacations are a time to slow down our busy lives and create memories for a lifetime. But air travel with children can sometimes throw a wrench into the fun. Don’t spoil event- be prepared with these helpful tips from a (Mom/Dad) that’s been there, done that.   Schedule flights for the morning. Likely hood for these to be delayed are slim. Plus, your little energizer bunny will be ready to take his or her nap once on board. If you can’t leave in the morning, try to schedule the flight around your child’s naptime.   Shoot for direct flights. The ch...Read More...

Family Cruising

If you’ve vacationed with your children you know the look - a couple of bleary-eyed, bedraggled parents returning back to the hotel at 6 p.m..  In tow, are 2 hyper-active offspring wearing mouse hats or whale t-shirts sporting cotton candy hair extensions.  Next it’s the big choice:  wash them up and suffer through another dinner or collapse in the hotel room with another room service or take-out pizza meal.  And today’s receipts for all this fun?  Well,  let’s just say it cost more than your first car did?   If this is how you de...Read More...

Top 11 cruise markets for 2011

Based on a market study by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) the top 11 cruise markets based on passenger bed days for 2011 were 1. Caribbean 2. Mediterranean 3. Europe/Scandinavia 4. Alaska 5. Bahamas 6. Mexico (West Coast) 7. Transatlantic 8. Australia/New Zealand/S. Pacific 9. Trans Canal 10. South America 11. Hawaii What is on your list? What will be make the list for 2012?Read More...

Packing Tips for a Cruise

  Even in the largest villas and suites on a cruise, the closet space may be less than desirable. Maximize the smaller space with these great packing tips for those who have sailed the world.    Pick the right suitcase Some cruise lines are designing cabins that allow room underneath beds to accommodate larger bags. It the cabin does not allow this, pack things in a soft-side bag that can be flatten after you unpack.   Pack a Day Bag Great for carry essentials around the ship and on shore excursions. Plus, use this as your carry-on bag since your actual luggage ma...Read More...

Aloha Mickey! Aulani, Disney Resort & Spa

Say it isn’t so! Disney in Hawai’i? If you’re heading to O’ahu, you just may want to check out the newest resort from Disney- Aulani. Hawai’i has always been known to be the world’s greatest destination for families so it was a no brainer to bring “The Happiest Place on Earth” to the beautiful island of Hawai’i. But you don’t have to be a kid or even have kids to enjoy this new paradise.   Situated on 21 acres of oceanfront property, the Disney magic is everywhere and every aspect has been inspired by Hawaiian culture, tradi...Read More...

All-Inclusives – Are they worth it?

  The all-inclusive resort used to be considered the “budget inn” of travel. Images of a rowdy crowd drinking in the Jacuzzi, bland food, forced group activities and limited entertainment was the norm. Today, the all-inclusive concept has expanded to unlimited activities such as golf on a championship golf course, gourmet meals, and more upscale and intimate resorts.   More and more vacationers are looking into all-inclusives and the industry is listening. The reasons for the popularity of all-inclusive resorts are time and value. Travel experts say that pre-paying ...Read More...

Honeymoons

Honeymoons too often take a backseat to the arrangements and plans of the actual wedding, but you owe it to yourself to give honeymoon planning greater and more careful attention. After all, while the wedding is mainly for your family and friends, the once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon that follows is a private getaway for you and your new spouse to celebrate your marriage. Though you may spend a portion of your vacation relaxing and reflecting on this major life change, the honeymoon is most of all an opportunity to enjoy being a newlywed, spending quality time with your new spouse, and experien...Read More...

Waves of Comedy

As ships get larger and larger the added space allows for more venues to entertain the diverse passengers being accommodated.  Carnival, long known for its big scale revues and comedy acts is taking it up a notch on the new Carnival Dream.   A comedy club is among the new entertainment spots on the ship which debuts this September. Six shows will be offered on four nights per voyage in the 425-seat Burgundy Lounge.  The club will highlight a variety of comedians offering both family-friendly and adult-only performances.  The late night shows will be billed as &ldquo...Read More...