Is this really December

I played golf today in Atlanta and the temperature was 78 degrees. I turn on the TV and see nothing but pictures of ice all over the midwest. This must be what it feels like to live in Florida in the winter months.
I won't have a chance to get use to this because more seasonal weather is own its way soon.

I don't like cold weather that much but it does get me in the mood for a nice cruise in the Caribbean. Snorkel, anyone?

When is the best time to buy a cruise?

A lot of people have the belief that waiting until the last minute is the best way to get a bargin price on a cruise. That might have been true a decade ago but not likely in today's market. The great majority of cruises are priced their lowest when the prices are first published and then go higher as the sailing date draws nearer.

The accountants that work for the cruise lines have the ability to accurately track sales volume daily which allows regular price adjustments according to how well the ship is filling up. For those sailings that begin to fill up quickly, the price will most likely go up. There are not too many instances in which the price drops significantly. It does happen, but not that frequently.

So, your best strategy is to book early. If you book with a good travel agent, 2 things work in your favor. First of all, a good agent will keep an eye on prices and, if they should go down, will contact the cruise line for a price adjustment. If you book directly with the cruise line or on the internet, no one is going to look out for you like an agent could. Secondly, if you book with a good cruise agent, you can always cancel your booking and get a complete refund of your deposit as long as you cancel before the final payment due date. Lastly, booking early gives you a better choice of cabin location.

With the Love Boat captain

At the Cruise a Thon, Princess Cruises hosted an event for the cruise agents that have completed the "Commodore" level training classes.
Gavin MacLeod from the TV series "The Love Boat" was present to discuss how that series impacted the cruise business.
This photo was actually from last year's Cruise a Thon. This year was essentially the same as last year except I was not able to get a picture with "Capt Stubing".

How large is too large?

Royal Caribbean is building 2 new ships, the "Genesis" class, which will boogle the mind in terms of size. Each of these builds will hold 5,400 passengers, the largest cruise ships ever constructed. It was announced today that these ships will be sailing year round from Ft Lauderdale. The first one is scheduled to begin sailing in fall 2009 and the second ship a year later.

Large ships offer plenty of activites and interesting features like bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, wave pools, etc. For those seeking a wide array of activities, the large ships are good choices. And, for the most part, I don't feel like I'm in a big crowd on the current group of large ships. People tend to spread out in different sections of the ship.

The part that concerns me is getting on and off the ship. Disembarkation is already a frustrating experience. Unless some new techonology is introduced, I can't imagine what it will be like to get rid of 5400 passengers at the end of the cruise and then put on board a new group of 5400. That will be over 10000 people, and their luggage, at the pier during the course of a few hours.

Cruise a Thon

I started this blog after returning from the 2007 Cruise a Thon in Ft Lauderdale. This annual convention for the leisure travel industry is a great place to network, to take various training classes and conduct cruise ship inspections.

I hope to provide regular updates with information that may interest anyone with a love of cruising.