Royal Caribbean's "Oasis of the Seas"

This "new concept" ship is the most highly-anticipated of the year. Check out Royal Caribbean's "Oasis of the Seas," redefining the future of travel in the 21st century.

Uniworld River Cruising - Itineraries

With river cruising, you travel from one grand city to the next, making it the most efficient way to see the historic attractions and breathtaking scenery of Europe.

Crystal Receives Perfect Score for Cleanliness

Crystal Cruises' award-winning Crystal Serenity received a perfect score of 100 from Health Canada, following an intensive inspection by a team of environmental health officials. A ship's level of sanitation is considered satisfactory if its score is 86 percent or higher. The unannounced audit on May 3rd, took place in Victoria on its final segment of the line's world cruise. Scoring is based on 41 inspection items including food preparation and storage, waste management systems, ventilation device, sanitation temperatures, and potable water systems.

Canada's Federal health department developed its Cruise Ship Inspection Program (CSIP) to inspect cruise ships visiting Canadian ports. The guidelines were coordinated with the United States' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Carnival to Resume Sailings to Mexico

Carnival Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico. Once all voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those ships will revert to their original itineraries featuring stops in Mexico. Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. Click here to see which date each ship will resume its original itinerary.

The Norwegian Epic, Coming to a Caribbean Port Near You

Norwegian Cruise Line recently unveiled the hull design of its largest and most innovative ship to date, the Epic. Scheduled to set sail in July 2010, the ship's interior will have a sophisticated modern, sleek design seen in everything from the curved New Wave staterooms to the ship's public areas. The ship will boast a rock-climbing wall, the most bowling lanes at sea, 14 restaurant choices, and an expansive Aqua Park, and the largest bowl slide at sea -- the Epic Plunge.

The 4,200 passenger Norwegian Epic is scheduled to sail year-round to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, with cruises going on sale May 21st, 2009.

Swine Flu Outbreak Redirects Cruise Ships Towards Victoria

Royal Caribbean International has suspended trips to Mexico due to swine flu fears, and has redirected six of its sailings to Victoria, Canada during the month of May. This is welcome news to British Columbia as it is projected this move will bring $4.5 million to the local economy.

Carnival Splendor is also providing a makeup sailing for the temporary cancellation of its Mexico cruise. This sailing departs June 7th from Los Angeles, and visits Astoria, Victoria and Vancouver before returning to Los Angeles.

Flu Outbreak Halts Mexico Trips

With the global economy in a funk and cruiselines pulling out of the Vancouver market in 2010.....what could possibly be next? How about an outbreak of "swine flu" in Mexico that has already killed over 100 people in Mexico, and has forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its pandemic alert to Level 5 with Level 6 being a full-blown pandemic.

These recent events have forced Montreal-based Transat AT inc., Canada's largest tour operator, to "postpone" flights from Canada to Mexico until June 1st. Air Canada Vacations has also suspended flights to Cancun, Cozumel, and Puerto Vallarta until June 1 due to the outbreak. Similarly, Sunquest Vacations announced it was cancelling all trips until June 4th, and SunWing Vacations until May 29th.

The Shifting Dynamics of Vancouver's Cruise Industry

First it was Royal Caribbean pulling Serenade of the Sea out of the Alaska market in 2010, because of the high cost of business in Alaska. This amounts to a loss of 19 sailings, with an economic impact estimated to be $55 million. Then came Carnival Cruise Line's decision to move nine of its sailings from Vancouver to Seattle in 2010, for an estimated loss of $18 million. The reason is that 75-80% of Alaska cruise passengers are from the United States, and it's cheaper for these passengers to fly to Seattle than Vancouver. Holland America is replacing 20 seven-day sailings between Vancouver and Seward, with 10 14-day sailings between Seattle and Anchorage. And most recently, Norwegian Cruise Line announced the redeployment of its Norwegian Sun for the summer of 2010, moving the ship from Alaska to Europe. It will be sailing a 12-day Baltic Capitals itinerary from London (Dover) beginning May 11th, 2010. By the time the dust settles, there will be 62 fewer return sailings from Vancouver in 2010, resulting in a loss of 260,000 passengers and $120 million in economic impact to the local economy. Ouch.

However, the good news is that the 2010 Olympic Games will bring millions of Americans to the area, spotlighting the charm of Vancouver for all to see. Also, Cruise Lines International Association is holding its 2010 annual tradeshow bringing travel agents to Vancouver from all over the world.

As for Vancouverites, 2009 presents a tremendous buying opportunity with cruise fares at record lows, a wide variety of sailings to choose from, and itineraries departing from your home port. You may never have a better chance to see Alaska for so little, so hop on a cruise ship if you possibly can!

Seattle Tops Vancouver in Alaska Cruise Business

Seattle posted its best year in 2008, and narrowly beat Vancouver for total number of passengers cruising to Alaska. Its 886,039 passengers on 210 sailings eclipsed Vancouver's 850,000 passengers on 254 sailings. In total, Seattle generated $274 million USD in business revenue, $8 million in taxes, and created 2,380 local jobs.

Seattle has made a strong play to develop its cruise business in recent years, and is set to gain even more business in 2010 when a number of cruiselines plan to move sailings from Vancouver to Seattle.

CruiseShips at the 2010 Winter Olympics?

Cruiseships will be prominent in the waters of Vancouver's Burrard Inlet during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Edmonton-based Newwest Travel has an agreement to bring the Norwegian Star to Vancouver for the Games. The ship would leave Los Angeles on February 6th and arrive in Vancouver 4 days later. It will be moored at the bulk marine terminal near the Lions Gate Bridge in North Vancouver, and will provide accommodations for 2,240 passengers.

The RCMP Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit is also getting into the act. They have chartered 3 ships to provide accommodation for 5,000 police personnel before and during the Winter Olympics. The ships include the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation, the 1,916-passenger Holland America MS Oosterdam, and the 1,258-passenger MS Statendam. The ships were originally scheduled to be in service, but instead will sail empty when it cruises to Vancouver in early 2010. The total bill comes to $76 million. Passengers who were booked to sail on these ships will be offered alternate ships or sail dates or a full refund.