Posted by Marshall Jackson on August 1, 2009 under Celebrity Cruises, Cruising, Royal Caribbean, Travel Products, Travel Tips | 
Historically, if you booked your flights through the cruise line (any cruise line) you had very little choice in schedules, airlines, seat assignments, etc. This is one reason I have never booked air through a cruise line. Royal Caribbean must have been listening to our complaints because they are rolling out a much more flexible air travel option on August 3rd called ChoiceAir.
ChoiceAir options can be booked with Royal Caribbean, your travel agent, or online at a special website, which according to Royal Caribbean, has the look and feel of online booking engines you’ve become accustomed to. And better yet, ChoiceAir staff will have full access to your itinerary on travel day to assist you with alternative arrangements for getting to the ship should you run into any travel difficulties. This is the primary reason many book their flights through the cruise line, assurance that they will eventually get to the ship if they run into flight problems. (Note: I always recommend you travel to your port the day before your cruise to avoid any issues.)
Fees for the service will be $15 dollars per person for domestic trips and $25 dollars for international. Not unreasonable at all. Royal Caribbean’s sister lines, Celebrity and Azamara are participating as well. You can read more about the program here.
Posted by Marshall Jackson on July 8, 2009 under Celebrity Cruises, Cruising, Travel Tips |
Celebrity Cruises has announced major changes to its Captain’s Club loyalty program, and in my opinion, they are big positives for Celebrity Cruisers. (Disclosure: I am a Celebrity Captain’s Club Elite member.) Enhancements include a Captain’s Club Celebration event offering an opportunity for Captain’s Club members to interact with senior officers of the ship, and reportedly will include new things to enjoy such as cooking demonstrations and performances by onboard musicians.
Other enhancements include big discounts on internet access and laundry charges. But my favorite change is the addition of the “Captain’s Club Lounge” which will offer continental breakfast in the mornings and complimentary cocktails in the evenings. These services will be offered in Celebrity’s popular Michael’s Club each morning and evening. I really love the “Diamond Lounge” on Royal Caribbean, and expect a similar experience on Celebrity. Mrs. MJ on Travel and I enjoy socializing with our fellow experienced cruisers and will look forward to enjoying the new Captain’s Club Lounge on our Celebrity Equinox 11-night Mediterranean cruise next year.
According to Celebrity, more changes will be announced throughout 2009. You can review complete details of all the benefits available to Captain’s Club members here.
Posted by Marshall Jackson on November 10, 2006 under Celebrity Cruises, Cruising, Royal Caribbean, Travel Tips |
If I haven’t told you lately, I love cruising! Cruising happens to be the preferred way of vacationing for Lady Astrojets and myself, and we love turning new people onto cruising!
Top Five Reasons to Take a Cruise
1. You only unpack once.
2. It’s a good value for your vacation dollar. (Compare to hotels and meals on some island, and you’ll see why.)
3. You get to visit multiple places (while only unpacking once).
4. Almost without fail, the staff onboard the ship of most any cruiseline will wow you with impeccable customer service. (Why can’t airlines do this?)
5. You don’t have to drive the ship, so party on dude!
There are a multitude of choices out there of cruise lines. Some better than others. I have a couple of favorites, Royal Caribbean and their sister line Celebrity. More on why later. But I’m sure you’ll enjoy your next cruise no matter which line you choose. Check out Cruise Critic for some great information on cruising.
