http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/what-it-takes-to-keep-a-city-afloathttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/what-it-takes-to-keep-a-city-afloat  What It Takes to Operate the World's Biggest Cruise Ship - WSJ.com   More BigCharts Virtual Stock Exchange FiLife.com WSJ Asia WSJ Europe WSJ Portuguese WSJ Spanish WSJ Chinese SEARCH Welcome, Logout My AccountMy JournalHelpMessage Center U.S. EditionWSJ.com is available in the following editions and languages: U.S. Asia India China   Japan   Europe Americas en Español em Português Login/Regi...Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:19:53 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/why-hasn-t-the-snow-meltedhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/why-hasn-t-the-snow-melted Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:48:22 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/princess-to-build-two-new-super-shipshttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/princess-to-build-two-new-super-shipsCarnival and Princess announced this week that they signeed an agreement to build two new 3800 Plus passenger ships to come on line 2012 and 2013.  This is important because they are the first contracts to be signed since the Oasis has been out on the water and public reaction to some degree has been measured.   In my opinion the Oasis lives up to all the hype that was generated about it.  The ...Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:49:05 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/eleven-new-cruise-ships-to-launch-in-2010http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/eleven-new-cruise-ships-to-launch-in-2010The features on these ships truly make them floating resorts and destinations of their own.  The Oasis of the Seas certainly sets the trend.  Epic's ice bar and featuring Blue Man Group make it a total experience that doesn't need shore excursions. Read the entire article hereThu, 04 Feb 2010 17:32:46 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/holland-america-revamps-its-loyalty-clubhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/holland-america-revamps-its-loyalty-clubPerking Along at Holland AmericaHolland America Line beefed up its loyalty club with the Mariner Society Rewards Program, providing on-board discounts while sailing, special rates on select cruises and reduced or free third and fourth rates when booking future cruises. Based on past cruises recorded as cruise days, members now get Star levels and automatically collect additional cruise day cred...Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:41:11 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/on-why-use-a-travel-agenthttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/on-why-use-a-travel-agentThought I would share a little diddy from Newsday this past Sunday .  It's called "Don't Count Travel Agents Out' When NOT to book it online yourself"  The first trip listed is CRUISING!!  Here are the reasons as stated in the article:"1) Cruise lines give travel agencies special deals that you probably won't find anywhere else.2) A cruise can get complicated - ship operations, airline tickets,...Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:00:06 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/queen-elizabeth-floats-outhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/queen-elizabeth-floats-out  Ceremonies Mark the Float Out of the World’s Newest QueenCunard’s Queen Elizabeth Reaches Major Milestone         5 January 2010 – Special ceremonies at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste, Italy, were held today to mark the float out of Cunard’s newest liner, Queen Elizabeth. Cunard’s President and Managing Director, Peter Shanks, was joined by 79-year-old Florence Farmer, who ser...Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:53:54 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/wouldn-t-you-like-to-be-in-tahiti-right-nowhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/wouldn-t-you-like-to-be-in-tahiti-right-nowI just got an email from one of my favorite small ship cruise lines.  It featured a 17 day trip to Papeete and all the islands in the chain plus Easter Island.It being 22 degrees with a slight wind, as I write, it got me thinking.  Well more like dreaming.  What a wonderful way to not only get away from the cold, but what a great itinerary with sun, islands, native culture, and discovery.  Four...Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:13:37 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/how-are-you-going-to-welcome-2010http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/how-are-you-going-to-welcome-2010Are you glad we made it through this decade?  According to all the news stations it was mostly a decade we wish we could have gotten by without.  There were certainly some great times, but for me I think the enormity of the terrible events over shadowed those great times!  Welcome to the 2010's.As you make your resolutions for 2010 itself, also think a little further out and what you and your f...Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:40:09 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/silversea-maiden-voyage-of-silver-spirithttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/silversea-maiden-voyage-of-silver-spiritWith all the super ships launching with their inaugural and maiden voyages, I hope the inaugural of Silversea's newest ship the Silver Spirit is not overlooked.  This is an amazing ship, with fantastic features and creature comforts but a small ship.   That's great actually.  As a small ship you can visit ports that the larger cruise lines can either not get to because of various harbor feature...Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:29:46 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/do-you-want-to-go-to-cubahttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/do-you-want-to-go-to-cubaThere is lots of discussion on the travel groups about Cuba opening for travel by Americans from the USA, but how high on your travel priority list would it be?  Number one? Cuba is certainly interesting due to its "forbidden" nature to most Americans, but does that make it more than a curiosity?  Canadians have been going to Cuba for years.  There are many Cuban expats and Cuban Americans in t...Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:30:46 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/shoveled-out-and-ready-to-cruisehttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/shoveled-out-and-ready-to-cruiseWell we got everything the TV weather man scared us into thinking we were going to get except the ice.  It was great!  21 inches of white stuff in the back yard 5 days before Christmas and not even officially winter.  Is that cruisitude or what on the part of mother nature.  How did she know?Then I got to see the Celebrity Mercury in Baltimore on a ship inspection and found out why they get rat...Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:51:51 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/tomorrow-during-the-stormhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/tomorrow-during-the-storm1. whether the storm materialized, 2., whether it gets here or 3., turns East before it get here.  Of course we were advised to stay tuned and check back frequently to get the latest news and hear about how much bread and milk were on their way out of the grocery stores.I have a better idea, snuggle up with your family and think about some place nice and warm, like on a cruise ship in the Carib...Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:50:28 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/family-cruise-traditionhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/family-cruise-traditionIts getting to be that time of year again.  In our new lifestyles of families being separated by greater distances due to jobs, lifestyles, careers, military service, its always nice to come together at certain holidays as a family.  More and more we are seeing multigenerational cruising, river cruising, and use of all inclusivces as a way to have a great reunion and reduce the hassle and stres...Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:43:33 -0500http://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/whats-behind-azamara-club-cruises-announcementhttp://www.travelcruiseandtour.com/blogPosts/view/whats-behind-azamara-club-cruises-announcementThe quote in the excerpt is taken from Azamara's recent press release.  CEO Larry Pimentel recently brought on as CEO for Azmara certainly makes a strong case in article about changing the paradigm of upscale cruising.  As a Triple Diamond Azamara cruise agent I certainly applaud what the new Azamra Club Cruises will be all about.  It certainly appears to be a good move from my perspective and ...Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:12:32 -0500