How the Cruise Industry is Unfolding in 2009

One of the biggest stories of 2009 has been the downslide of the world economy. But the good news (for consumers) is that cruiselines have offered up some really juicy last-minute cruise deals that represent significant savings for cruisers. As a result, some cruisers have been willing to wait 15 days to 3 months prior to the departure to scoop up these deals. If you're flexible with dates and you're not too picky about leftovers, this is the year to cash in on those deals.

Cruiselines continue to implement anytime dining - being able to eat whenever and wherever you want, rather than committing to a set table at a set time. The original concept was pioneered by Norwegian, but now all of the big ship lines are offering more dining options, including Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Carnival is experimenting with the idea and will make a decision as to whether to make this offering fleet-wide.

As interest in cruising grows, cruiselines have been rolling out impressive new ships in increasing numbers. Slated for 2009, include the AIDALuna, the MSC Splendida, Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica, Seabourn Odysssey, Celebrity Equinox, Royal Caribbean - Oasis of the Seas, Carnival Dream, and the Silver Spirit. An additional 11 ships are due to be launched in 2010. Perhaps the most highly anticipated ship of 2009 is the RCI - Oasis of the Seas. This mammoth 5,400-passenger cruise ship will be the largest ever built. This revolutionary ship is divided into seven neighborhoods, with innovative elements like the open-air Central Park with live grass and trees, the Aqua Theater for aerial acrobatics, a zip-line, a bar that rise five stories high, and two-story loft suites.

Exotic cruising to far-flung places like Australia/New Zealand, South America and Asia have slowed down due to the softening of the economy. Not only are these itineraries generally more pricey, but also require expensive air flights. Instead, cruisers have been more inclined to take closer-to-home trips such as Bermuda, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

Alaska remains an enchanting destination; however, demand has dropped significantly over the past year as the economy has worsened, forcing cruise lines to discount heavily to fill ships. As a result, a number of cruise lines are deciding to pull out of this market for 2010. Some of these ships are being re-routed to places like Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Another region to watch is the Far East as people discover what a wonderful destination it is, and its popularity increases. Cruise lines such as Voyages of Discovery, Yachts of Seabourn, Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean have caught onto this trend and are either debutting or placing a firmer foothold in this region in 2010.

Antarctica Voyage Unveiled

Cruise West, long a specialist in cruise travel to Alaska and other parts of the world, is adding a 19-night Antarctic expedition to its line-up in 2010. The 114-guest Corinthian II, departs from Buenos Aires and makes stops in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the Orkney Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. This vast ice-covered expanse of land is teeming with wildlife, and home to millions of seabirds and penguins, as well as seals, dolphins and whales. Guests will get an up-close-and-personal view with the help of eight naturalists.

This dream voyage does not come cheap, with prices starting at $13,899. However for those adventure-seekers who can afford to look the other way when confronted with the price tag, this voyage offers a true once-in-a-lifetime experience. This voyage sets sail on February 8, 2010.

http://www.cruisewest.com/antarctica-cruises

Elvis is......On The Ship

Elvis fans will be able to relive the glory of the King of Rock 'n' Roll aboard the Carnival Inspiration, November 12-16, 2009. The cruise will feature live music and entertainment from some of Elvis' former bandmates and backup singers. In addition, guests can enjoy in-room Elvis movies, meet and greet sessions with celebrity guests, an Elvis fashion show featuring officially licensed merchandise, trivia tournaments and other Elvis-themed activities. And while the primary focus of the cruise is Elvis and his music, guests will also be able to enjoy a stop in Cozumel with its vibrant reefs, rich Mayan heritage and historical landmarks around the island.

The Elvis Cruise is the only officially licensed cruise by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., and is being produced by Sixthman, an affinity travel company based in Atlanta. Cabins start at USD$599 per person based on double occupancy, and bookings are made by directly contacting Sixthman at 1-877-749-8462.

Texas Hold'Em Takes to the Seas

Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator, is getting into the poker action by hosting the 2009 PokerPro Challenge. From now until October, a series of preliminary No Limit Texas Hold'Em poker tournaments will be held on the line's 22 ships. Winners of the preliminary tournaments will then face off in the "Grand Final" aboard Carnival Freedom's six-day voyage departing from Fort Lauderdale on January 24, 2010.

First place winners of the preliminary tournament will receive a certificate towards a cruise on the January 24th voyage. The Grand Final winner receives a cash prize of $25,000.

"Mothership" Cruises to Land of the First Nations

Mothership Adventures is offering an interesting twist on exploring the British Columbia coastline: visiting the land of the First Nations' people. The Columbia III will depart from Port McNeill onthe north end of Vancouver Island and sail into the wilderness region of the Broughton Archipelago.

Lillian Hunt, curator of Cultural Tourism Programs for the U'mista's Potlatch Collection, will guide guests through the legends, artwork and sites of the Kwakwaka'wakw cultures. Other guides will explain the complexities of the "Potlatch" ceremony with its masks and regalia. Guests will also have a chance to visit a "Big House" and witness chanting, drumming and traditional dance. The tour also makes stops in ancient village sites, includingn Mimkwamlis. There are also opportunities to watch First Nations people carve trees into canoes and totem poles, and gold and silver into jewelry.

The 23-passenger, 19-metre ship has a spacious dining room and six staterooms. Gourmet meals are served and the ship has a fireplace and library. The cruise takes place from July 2-6,.

Fuel Supplement Returning?

In June 2008, the price of crude oil hit an all-time high of $145 per barrel. Cruiselines were forced to charge a fuel supplement to all cruise fares. By December, the price of crude had fallen to a low of $30 per barrel, and cruiselines removed the fuel supplement charge with the provision that if the price of sweet crude oil should increase above $70 per barrel (according to the NYMEX), then they would reserve the right to reinstate the fuel supplement charge.

As prices hover around the $70 mark these days, cruisers are wondering if that extra charge will return anytime in the near future. How much was this charge you ask? For example, last year first and second guests in each stateroom were charged $5 per-guest, per-day, to a maximum of $70 per person per sailing.

For now, cruiselines such as Carnival are saying they have no plans to institute a fuel supplement; and so far, the other cruiselines are following suit. However, Carnival adds, "we will continue to monitor the situation in the markets and review our position as the situation warrants." Stay tuned.

Viking Legend Making Debut in July

Viking's much-anticipated ship, the Legend, is making its much-anticipated debut in July 2009. The ship will join the fleet on its Grand European Tour, the cruise line's most popular itinerary. As with all of its ships, the Viking Legend's all-inclusive policy covers accommodations, all onboard meals, shore excursions and cultural enrichment activities such as lectures, discussions, workshops, demonstrations of handmade crafts, and local food and wine tastings.

The cruise line will unveil three new itineraries in 2010: an 8-day sailing on the Danube through Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia; a 6-day Yangtze River cruise through the Three Gorges; and a 5-day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor.

Alaska - Did You Know?

For those people out there considering a cruise to Alaska, but not sure what they will see.....perhaps consider the following lesser-known tidbits of information:

1. The first humans arrived in the Americas between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago. They crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Russia into Alaska. Anthropologists know that the ancestors of today's Alaska Natives have lived in Alaska for thousands of years. Visitors to Alaska can watch Native Dancers (such as the Naa Kahidi) perform song and dance that have changed little in thousands of years of history.

2. In 1741, Tsar Peter the Great of Russia sent explorer Vitus Bering to sail east from Siberia to Alaska. Russia claimed Alaska until 1867, when they sold it to the United States for $7.2 million. Sitka is a town that has maintained much of its Russian heritage.

3. The Klondike gold rush of 1897 caused the population of Skagway to swell from 1 person in 1896 to 10,000 in 1897. The population plunged after that, but many of the buildings during that time survived and have been preserved for all to enjoy.

4. Ketchikan is considered the Salmon Capital of the World, with 1.5 million cases of salmon produced annually during the 1930s. Those numbers have declined, but salmon is still an important industry of Ketchikan.

5. The Hubbard Glacier is the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska, boasting an open calving face over six miles wide. Glacier Bay National Park has one of the highest concentrations of tidewater glaciers in the world, most of them actively calving slabs of ice into the water.

Is it Possible to Roller-Skate at Sea?

As if rock-climbing , boogie-boarding, and lawn bowling weren't enough, now you can roller-skate at sea. Costa Cruises is introducing the industry's first roller skating track on the Costa Luminosa. The track, which doubles as a jogging track, is located on the ship's uppermost deck. For $7 per hour, you can rent rollerskates that strap onto your sneakers and feel that blast of sea breeze as you whiz around the ship at sea. Also new to the industry is Costa's 4-D cinema where people can watch 3-D movies while experiencing vibrating seats, wind blowing and water spraying in their face.

Finally, Costa is also introducing the industry's first onboard recording studio for passengers aboard its Costa Pacifica ship. With the assistance of a sound engineer, you can sing your favorite song and sound great doing it. Costa promises that it's high-tech engineering can make even the worst singer sound beautiful. For about $50, passengers can record up to three songs on a CD.

"Twilight" Fans Delight at Cruise Offering

Fans of the movie "Twilight" will rejoice in the recent announcement that there will be a seven-day Twilight Convention at Sea Cruise departing from Seattle on August 8, 2010. Included in the itinerary are themed events such as movie viewings, a costume ball, trivia events and a Q&A/ autograph session. Plus there will be a photo session with actors Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz.

Oh, and not to forget that there will be a cruise to Alaska, that visits Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria. Twilight cabins aboard the Holland America ms Oosterdam start at $1049 for an interior room, and go up to $3299 for a deluxe veranda suite, based on double-occupancy. So start saving up, Twilight fans!

Celebrity Millenium Gets "Do-Over"

Consistently ranked as among the top 10 large ships in the world, "Millie" emerged from a 12-day drydock in Victoria, B.C. with a sweeping "refreshment" that includes new carpeting and upholstery, installation of flat-panels TVs in each room, and a new varnish on floors and handrails throughout the ship.

The newly-refreshed Celebrity Millennium embarked on its first Alaska trip of the season on May 22nd, a seven-night roundtrip cruise from Vancouver.

Good News for Single Cruisers

Single cruisers being treated as equals is almost unheard of in the cruising business. Typically, single cruisers are required to pay what two people would normally pay for the stateroom aboard the ship. Scenic Tours are offering single cruisers the same rate as per person based on double occupancy. These rates apply to their river cruises from Amsterdam to Budapest.

Single cruisers can also consider Holland America's "Singles Share" program which matches people based on gender and approximate age in the same stateroom, and thus reduces their per person cost.

Cruise Ships in Cuba? Stay Tuned.

Up until now, most cruise ships have been prohibited from sailing into Cuba ports, with the exception of British and German ones. With the recent thaw in Cuba-United States relations, this might change. While a full lifting of the travel embargo for Americans is making its way through both houses of the U.S. Congress, cruise lines no doubt are making plans in the event restrictions are lifted. Cuba is new, it's big, and there is room for ports all around the island. Cruise ships only need to find a safe place near shore to drop anchor, and they can jettison a flotilla of passengers in lifeboats to shore. With a potential infusion of tourism dollars from 1.5 million tourists each year, a lot is at stake for both sides. Stay tuned.