A different kind of cruise line


Azamara Club Cruises



 Larry Pimentel has seen a lot of water under the bridge. Literally and figuratively.

As past CEO of Seabourn, Sea Dream Yacht Club, and Cunard, the veteran travel industry exec has helmed some of the most storied names in cruising. So when Royal Caribbean Cruises lured him out of retirement in 2009 to head its new Azamara Club Cruises brand, he demanded carte blanche to create something the cruise industry hadn’t seen before. And he has.

How is Azamara different? Three things, really: longer stays in port, more overnight stays, and unusual itineraries that include ports that other cruise ships pass by.

For example, on a recent 12-night voyage from Edinburgh, Scotland to Southampton, England, the Azamara Journey spent two nights in Dublin and two-and-a-half days in Rouen, France, which it reached by a fascinating six hour cruise up and down the Seine. On this voyage, the ship stopped at such unlikely, and un-touristy, places as the Orkney Islands and Portree (I had never heard of it either—it’s on the Isle of Skye). Needless to say, we were the only ships in port most of the time, which added to the sense of being somewhere special, far from the crowds. To get a sense of some of the unusual ports that Azamara’s two ships visit, check out this partial list.

I’m embarrassed to say that there are at least 20 that I’ve never even heard of, let alone visited.  

The advantage for you, the passenger, is that with these “longer stay” itineraries you can spend a night (or two) pub-crawling in Dublin, or do an overnight to Paris even though you’ve docked in Rouen, just a short train ride away. What fun is visiting a favourite port on a Greek isle or on the Amalfi Coast and not sampling a meal in a buzzed-about local restaurant or hanging out at the town’s hot new disco? Whereas the typical cruise ship steams out of town at 5 or 6 p.m., Azamara lingers. And lingers. You might not set sail until midnight. Or 2 a.m. Or you might spend the entire night.

By the way, all the other elements of luxury cruising are in place on Azamara. There are two “specialty” restaurants, which cost an extra $25 to dine in but are well worth it, plus free wine selections with lunch and dinner. Tips are included. The spa is lovely and the fitness center’s equipment is new. And the staff has been well trained to engage guests with friendly “good mornings” and “good evenings” when you pass them in the hallways or on deck. I sometimes think that a few guests might get tired of being cheerily greeted each time they encounter a member of the crew onboard, especially if they themselves aren’t in a cheery mood, but it’s a sign of careful training that staff are instructed to greet passengers. Returning to the ship, the security officers seem sincere when they check your key card and say, “welcome home.”

Many of my friends avoid cruising altogether because they think it’s not “destination-immersive” enough or they don’t want to be “trapped” onboard. So Azamara might be just the thing for them. I love “days at sea,” just looking at the ocean, but it’s not for everyone.

Why, you might ask, don’t all cruise lines spend more time in port? Well, as Pimentel explains, it’s pretty simple: when ships are in port, the law requires that casinos and retail outlets on board remain closed. And if guests are boozing it up on shore, they’re not visiting the ship’s bars or the spa, all of which are revenue centres (in fact, some cruise lines probably lose money on those $350 four night cruise fares you sometimes see, but make all their profits on these “extras”). And the more nights in port, the more the ship pays in fees to the port. But after running cruise lines for over 20 years, Pimentel decided the industry needed to be rethought. And it seems to be working.

Oh, and one final Azamara distinction: some sailings offer cabins for solo travellers at just a 25 percent premium over the double-occupancy fare (most cruise lines charge single passengers 100 percent, i.e. double, so that’s a huge savings if you’re travelling alone).

Published August 16, 2012 | FoxNews.com 

 By George Hobica

Royal Caribbean hosts world`s largest Travel Agency Appreciation Day



ROYAL CARIBBEAN hosts world’s largest 
travel agency appreciation day
Loyal to You Always emphasises past, present and future dedication to travel partners

 Dubai, 6th June 2012: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd is demonstrating its loyalty to travel agents by holding the world’s largest travel agency appreciation day today, June 6th. Loyal to You Always is the company’s way of recognising the valuable role travel agents play while highlighting the ongoing support structure Royal Caribbean has in place.

Loyal to You Always is part of Royal Caribbean’s year-round campaign to provide support, training and loyalty to travel agents around the world. In the Middle East, the company provides regional support through its hub in Dubai.

Lakshmi Durai, Executive Director Middle East, said Royal Caribbean Arabia had been providing support, training and assistance in the region for more than 17 years. “We have a number of initiatives and programmes that show our loyalty to travel agents, which helps them not only sell more cruises and increase their profits, but build valuable relationships.

“We offer the travel agents the opportunity to visit the ships when they are in Dubai, so they get to see what a cruise holiday is all about. Every year, we take them on board for the Seminar at Sea to give them a firsthand experience of a cruise holiday, which helps the agents to sell Royal Caribbean cruise products effectively. We also have a very interactive online training programme called Cruising for Excellence, which helps our travel partners to learn more about our cruises and what we offer.”

In addition, the sales team in the Dubai representative office offers one-to-one training and presentations for travel agents throughout the year and provides ongoing reservation support through its help desk.

Ms Durai said Loyal to You Always would enable the company to emphasise its support structure and loyalty to travel agents, while also offering them bonus commission to book cruises on Thursday, June 7th.  “Loyal to You Always is built on four principles: personal interaction and support; valuable resources that get results; increasing profits for travel agents; and award-winning travel agent education and development programmes,” she said.

Recognising the valuable role travel agents play in the company’s success, Loyal to You Always offers agents up to US$100 in bonus commission per stateroom for cruises aboard Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.

With Royal Caribbean’s ongoing fleetwide revitalisation and enhancements, the cruise line is helping to drive customer demand and superior guest satisfaction, which reinforces client loyalty and repeat business. Royal Caribbean is investing more than US$100 million over the next five years on its internal reservation system and automation tools to help travel agents sell cruises more easily and service their clients more effectively by leveraging the latest technologies.

Wedding & Romance at Sea!


Wedding is one of the most important & memorable event in everyone’s life. A cruise ship is a perfect location for a memorable wedding. Cruise weddings can take place onboard in a public room, a lounge or Wedding Chapel on the ship or on a romantic shore such as a beach, a glacier or any other destination of guest’s choice. Your can choose to have the wedding in one of the ports & then sail off on a honeymoon!
Most of the major cruise lines offer different wedding packages for different budgets and wedding party sizes. The Cruise lines now have a variety of services to help your guests plan a shipboard or shore side ceremony which could be combined with a romantic cruise honeymoon.

Planning a cruise wedding is very simple & hassle free. The major cruise lines have dedicated wedding coordinators to help with all arrangements including floral arrangements, table linens, photography, music, cake and special menus to make your wedding a unique event. Some will even help the guests to obtain wedding licenses or provide invitations and thank you notes. In addition, the coordinators also handle all the extras from tuxedo rental to hair and spa appointments. The Cruise Wedding experience will make your wedding extra special. Being the most exciting time of life, the guests can relax enjoying the activities onboard the cruise ship, while the wedding coordinator takes care of every details of this special day.
An onboard wedding can be a great value as well. The price range of a shipboard wedding is just like one ashore ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands. You need to consult the cruise specialists to select the best package. The options of arranging Cruise Weddings are endless. With Cruise Weddings you can be sure that your dreams will fit well into your budget.

Is cruising expensive?


One of the biggest concerns people have while planning a vacation is the total cost. On a cruise vacation, the food, accommodation, entertainment and most of the activities are included in the fare. This makes it easy for the vacationers to stick to their budget.
The cruise cost depends upon when the guest cruise, the ship they choose, the cabin category and how far in advance they make their reservation. In addition to the fabulous cuisine, world class entertainment, plenty of activities on board a floating resort, on a cruise holiday the guests also get to visit many different ports of call. It’s an amazing fact that the guests just unpack once and settle in for a journey that takes them anywhere they want to go. If you consider everything that is included in the cruise fare, you will realize that cruising is the vacation with best value for money. It's an incredible value that cannot be matched by any other vacation package.
The families and couples could travel and make wonderful memories within a small budget. Although the cruise fare includes a lot, there are certain elements that are charged separately on a cruise like alcohol and soft drinks, shore excursions, spa treatments, tips, laundry services, medical treatment, babysitting, Internet access and some specialty coffees and pastries. When you factor in all of the costs that the guest will incur on a land vacation as well as the great deals they could find on cruise vacation, you will discover that they can actually save money by booking a cruise as opposed to a land-based vacation.
The bottom line is guests can set a budget, watch what they spend and have great time on a cruise holiday.

Night life onboard a Cruise ship


Cruise ships offer an array of night life from Broadway-style shows to discos and dancing as long as the guests want, even until the sunrise at sea. At night, life aboard a cruise ship really turns on with dancing, live entertainment, discos and lounges, feature films and parties with all new friends and shipmates. There are also special events like the Captain's Cocktail Party, Talent Night, the Parade, and the Late Night Buffet.


The new generation cruise ships have a groundbreaking approach to entertainment. Rather than one single production theater show holding almost the entire guest in two seating, the new ships offer a variety of entertainment venues throughout the ship, some featuring high-tech productions at pre-set show times and others appealing to more interactive audiences such as disco dancing hot spot, urban style comedy clubs, the live jazz music venues, the karaoke venue, the piano sing-along entertainment and many more.


The guests can also indulge in other gaming activities in the elegant & stylish gaming rooms on many cruise ships. Alternatively the guests can simply stroll around the ship and enjoy the diverse & engaging entertainment activities in different venues like the night clubs, pubs and bars. For more strolling, there is Central Park with real plants and trees on the world’s biggest Oasis class of ships. At night Central park will be alive with lights and stars above.


The night life on board remains active and buzzing into the small hours. There is also a full range of night-time entertainment for children to keep them busy. Some cruise lines offer baby sitting service for the younger ones allowing the parents to enjoy the night life on board the floating resorts.

Port Days

In addition to enjoying the activities and facilities on board a cruise ship, the fun of cruising also include exploring new & exciting destinations each day. The cruise ships sail mostly over night and every day guests wake up in new destinations with a different view.

Mostly the ship will be at each port for around 8 to 9 hours and the guests will be excited to see so much in so little time. Hence, for the guests to get the most out of their days at port, they need to plan their shore excursions in advance.


There are plenty of options at different port ranging from sightseeing city tours, exploring the ancient historical cities, hiking on glaciers, snorkeling through coral reefs to shopping at local markets.  The cruise lines offer varieties of organized shore excursions for each port of call for an additional charge - some are activity based trips & some are sightseeing bus tours; some are full day tours & some are just for few hours; some are guided tours while some bring the guests to the destination and give them free time to explore until it’s time to go back to the ship; some focus on the highlights of many activities while some focus on one activity in depth.

The guests can either book their shore excursions through the cruise line or arrange the tours through private operators. Alternatively the guests can also choose to explore the port city on their own. The ship sponsored tours can be either booked on board at the Shore Excursions desk or can be booked on line before cruising. By booking the ship-sponsored tours, you can avoid the hassle of arranging your own tours at each port and can also avoid worrying about reaching the ship in time as the ship will not depart until all of its tour buses have returned.   

If guests are exploring the destination on their own, they need to make sure that they return before the time the ship is scheduled to leave the port. The ship will not wait for any one as there will be plenty of other guests waiting to proceed to their next destination.

It’s fun to explore the various exciting ports around the world – so plan well & enjoy!
 

Days at Sea!

Some new cruisers tend to book port intensive cruises as they may think that Sea days are nothing more than travel days and so could be boring. On the other hand, the experienced cruisers often look for itineraries having more sea days as they have learned that the sea days are their day to unwind and do as little or as much as they want.


The cruise ships offer plenty of onboard activities that the guests get to experience and enjoy during their days at sea. The activity addicts can climb a rock wall, skate in the ice rink, surf on a FlowRider, zip over the Zip line, play sports like basket ball, table tennis, mini golf etc. and indulge in many more activities on board newer and bigger ships.

There are also lots of games and group fun activities conducted by the Cruise Director and staffs on board. Depending on the cruise line, there may be different contests and assorted pool games including Bingo. Some times, there is even “Win a Cruise” Bingo where the top winner gets a free cruise! The guests can also participate in trivia contests throughout the cruise, there will surely be one or two during the days at sea.


The music lovers will find entertainment of different kinds all over the ship, usually found in the discos, pool side and themed club venues. There are lots of music from light classical to pop to country to Caribbean steel drums and more…. there's definitely something for everyone! 



There are workshops, seminars, classes and demonstrations happening on board most of the major cruise ships during the sea days. The topics vary from ship to ship and certain things that are generally offered by most of the cruise lines include dance classes, wine tasting seminars, gourmet cooking classes, ice carving demonstrations etc. Some special cruises even have famous guest speakers on board.


The Spas & salons at seas, which are not included in the cruise fare, are extremely popular. Pampering spa services at sea are available for individuals and couples. In addition to the normal massages, there are also exotic services like seaweed wraps, detox offerings, hot stone therapy treatments, facials with exotic ingredients, special aromatherapy manicure and many more delightful offerings! There are also fitness areas in or near the spa with a sea view.

You can simply hang out, relax and just do what you want on a Sea Day!

o   Sleep in, get comfortable in your stateroom and read a good book or watch a movie on TV.
o   Get up early and watch a sunrise at sea from the balcony or from the very top deck of the ship.
o   Take a swim in the pool or enjoy a little sun with a book on the pool chairs.
o   Enjoy a leisurely lunch in one of the many dining venues on board the ship.
o   Sit at a table by a window in any of the lounges and enjoy the company of shipmates.
o   Explore the ship, stroll through the shops on board and view the artwork hung all around.
o   Peruse the selections in the ship's library.
o   Or simply take a luxurious nap!

It is important to check out the daily bulletin to know what is available at which venue on board. What ever you desire, the days at sea can be exactly as you want!

President & CEO Adam Goldstein Talks about Royal Caribbean’s Dedication to Safety

The Costa Concordia accident is a defining moment in the history of the modern cruise industry. We will need the results of the authorities’ investigations to truly understand and respond to all of the implications. But we do not need to wait for anyone or anything to underscore the preeminent role of safety in the daily life of every cruise ship and of the industry as a whole.
By coincidence, half of our Captains and most of our Hotel Directors arrived in South Florida for our annual Fleet Operations leadership conference over the weekend. This gave our Chairman Richard Fain and me a timely opportunity to underscore both our excellent 42 year safety record and more importantly to emphasize the imperative of keeping our record intact into the future.
There are many aspects of safety. Although we are proud of our people, processes and technology in all areas of safety, we must review them all again, especially recruiting, training, guest mustering and evacuation. We have considered and prepared for very many scenarios. Now we need to broaden the range of scenarios even further.
In the upcoming weeks we will communicate by text and video about many of the key elements of safety. Many readers who know us well will not be surprised by our focus on and commitment to safety.  Those who have less experience with us should learn some interesting and compelling facts about how we prepare our ships and crew for safe operation every day.   For example, the rigorous preparation and ongoing training that every Captain in the Royal Caribbean International fleet must undergo.
Safety is a journey rather than a destination. We need to operate safely now yet constantly improve our safety. We need to hunt for lessons learned in every minor incident or accident. We need to apply those lessons learned across the fleet ASAP. This is a never ending cycle. As our Chairman Richard Fain says, there is no such thing as perfect safety but there is such a thing as perfect dedication to safety. We strive to be true to that concept.
The process of continuous improvement in safety is evident in our fleet. The newer ships are beneficiaries of decades of naval architectural progress.  They are also beneficiaries of the development of the requirements that ships must meet under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Where we have clearly succeeded with new approaches, such as the e-mustering procedures on Oasis-class ships, we are in the process of retrofitting the fleet where possible.
Global, regional, national and local authorities are going to review with increased intensity all regulations related to cruise ship safety. We enjoy strong and positive relationships with the IMO, U.S. Coast Guard, Flag states, Port states and innumerable other authorities around the globe. We look forward to working with them to make the safety record of modern cruising even stronger than it already is.
I often thank the men and women of Royal Caribbean International for the great job they do delivering Gold Anchor Service and the “Wow” to over three million guests per year. Implicit in that appreciation is recognition of their dedication to the safety of our guests and their fellow crew. It seems appropriate now to make my appreciation explicit as well as to remind all of my colleagues shipboard and shoreside that our vigilance must encompass every drill, every training, every voyage plan, every analysis of incidents/accidents and every day of ship operations.
My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been directly affected by the tragic accident on Costa Concordia.

The best of both worlds! Pre & Post Cruisetour


A Cruisetour is a combination of an exciting cruise vacation and adventurous land tour that allows the guest to experience a complete vacation. The coastal areas that the cruise ship visits are beautiful, but there are some interesting in-land areas & sights that a cruise ship cannot visit. By combining a cruise tour with a cruise to Alaska, Europe, Australia & many more destinations guests are able to see everything from a fabulous port of call along the coast to the magnificent cities located inland.

The Cruisetours are fully escorted by knowledgeable tour guides. The land tours generally ranges from two to fourteen nights and are designed to maximize the time spent sightseeing on many of the inclusive tours. The Cruisetour also gives the guest the opportunity to explore the city on their own.

In addition to the cruise, the Cruisetour includes accommodations in some of the finest hotels including 4 and 5 star properties, sight seeing on motor coach or trains with trained experts to make sure guests enjoy the unique attractions, historic landmarks, cultures & local flavor at each place.

Guests can decide to take a Cruisetour either before or after their cruise. Major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity cruises offers many optional land excursions at different destinations that would delight the fancy of the young & young at heart! There are also ‘Family Style’ Cruisetour packages providing abundance of educational opportunities and experiences with lots of fun.

If your guest wants the best of both worlds, a fantastic cruise vacation and an exciting land tour, then a Cruisetour is the right one for them.

To check out Cruisetour options with Royal Caribbean International, click on the link below:

Cruise Tours with Royal Caribbean International

Cruise Line Policies



The Cruise Lines follow a set of policies & guidelines that are designed to ensure the safety and security of their guests. The Cruise Line policies varies and it is important for the guests to know the policies and restrictions before they book & confirm their cruise vacation. Here are some general guidelines on the different policies of cruise lines.

Infant Policy:

Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise. However, for some longer sailings and specific destinations, the cruise lines insist that the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise.

Please note that the guests traveling with a young infant that does not meet the infant policy will be denied boarding. No refunds or other compensations are normally considered by the cruise lines to guests, if they are denied boarding due to an under age infant.

Pregnancy Policy:

Most of the cruise lines require that in order to cruise the female guests who are pregnant must not have entered in to their 24th week of pregnancy at any time during the cruise sailing. Though the cruise lines will have basic medical facilities with general physicians and nurses, they are not specialists. The pregnant guests are required to carry a "Fit to Travel" certificate issued by a Physician prior to sailing. The letter should state the number of weeks that the pregnant guest would be in at the time of sailing and also state that the guest is in good health fit enough to cruise and not experiencing a high risk pregnancy.

Age Policy:

No person under 21 years of age will be assigned a stateroom unless accompanied by an adult who is over the age of 21 in the same stateroom.  The age limit will be waived for minor children sailing with their parents or guardians in adjacent staterooms and also for underage married couples as long as they provide a proof of marriage at check in.

Onboard the cruise ships there are certain facilities where each entry is restricted by age: All persons using the Spa must be over the age of 18.  The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages is generally 21 on most of the cruise ships. However, a parent sailing with his or her sons or daughters who is between the ages of 18 to 21, may sign a waiver allowing the 18 to 21 year old to consume alcoholic beverages.

Please note that an individual’s age on the date of sailing determines their status for the entire cruise.

Minor Policy:

Any minor who is not traveling with at least one of their parents will only be permitted to board the cruise ship if accompanied by a guest over the age of 21. A written authorization from the parent/legal guardian must be provided at the time of booking for minors aged 17 or under at the start of sailing. This authorization is not required for minors 18, 19 or 20 at the start of the sailing.

Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child’s valid passport, applicable visa and an original affirmed or notarized letter signed by at least one of the child’s parents/legal guardians. The notarized letter must authorize the traveling adult to take the minor on the specified cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child which in the opinion of the treating doctor needs to be carried out without delay.

Required Travel Documents for Cruise guests




Like any other holiday, guests need to carry the necessary documents for cruising. All cruise guests must provide proper travel documentation while boarding the ship.  The documentation requirements vary by the nationality and residence of each guest as well as the specific ports that the cruise visits. It is the responsibility of the guests to determine carefully what documentation is required and acquire them before the cruise. Any guest who does not present the required documentation will not be allowed to board the ship and the cruise line will not issue a refund if the guests are denied boarding due to improper / insufficient documentation.

Following is a brief summary of the most common documentation requirements. Please note that these documentation requirements may be subject to change at any time. Therefore the cruise guests must check with the proper authorities for the latest requirements before every cruise.

Passport: A valid passport is required for all international guests including children. It is highly recommended that the guests` passport expiration date is not within 6 months of the last date of sailing.

Visas:  Visas are required for most of the Middle Eastern nationals and residents. The guests need to secure the necessary visas for the country of embarkation as well as for each port of call. Please note that most of the cruises will require multiple entry visas as the ship sails in the international waters and re-enter the port at each port of call. As the visa requirement vary by nationality and the port that the cruise visits, the guests need to check with the respective authorities / embassies each time they cruise for the latest requirements.

Cruise Ticket: The major cruise lines have electronic ticketing procedure. Once guests make the final payment, they will get the confirmation from the cruise line and an electronic ticket with complete details of their specific cruise. The guest can check-in online as this will save them from having to fill out forms at the pier. Once the guests complete their online check-in they get a Set Sail Pass which they need to carry with the other documents for boarding the ship.

Family Legal Documents:

o The name of the parents and the child must be linked through legal documents. If the last names of the parent and minor child traveling with them differ, the parent is required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) together with a certified copy of the child's birth certificate.

o Adults who are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa and the child's certified birth certificate together with an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise, must authorize guardian to sign legal documentation/waivers for participation in any onboard activities requiring them and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child.

o If a non-parent adult is a Legal Guardian, the adult must present a certified certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child.
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