If you didn't hear about this over the weekend, you were probably enjoying your holiday or celebrating the Ravens win. Can't blame you. I'd like to tune it out, too. I'm frankly a little tired of people "falling" off cruise ships. Last year, there were more than 20 people who went overboard while on a cruise. I don't understand it. Isn't the casino, pool or dessert buffet enough to keep you entertained? Do you have to swim with the dolphins too? Try an excursion.

But seriously, this latest victim - and I use that term because it's been nearly 72 hours since she went overboard - is a woman traveling with her husband on the Norwegian Pearl, who was lost at sea somewhere near Cancun. According to an interview I just saw on the Today show, her husband waited 8 hours to report her missing. Interviews with other passengers showed the couple made a big impression on their fellow travelers. They were mostly notable for participating in the onboard 'Nearly Newlywed' game. Ever played that? I have. It's a great way to make an embarrassing first impression. I'm sure I did. We almost won except my dear husband said "tiger" and I may have said "lamb," so we ended up in second place. (I wisely stayed away from the railing for the rest of the trip.)

I don't know what happened to Jennifer Seitz - accident or foulplay, it's still a tragedy. I don't know what more cruise lines can do to discourage this trend. Raise the railing? Eliminate balconies? Screen passengers for psychoses? Stop serving alcohol after 9? But something has to be done.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Aw, Disney does love the kids. Why else would they offer free sailings for children up to age 12 on most 3-night cruises aboard the Disney Wonder from Jan. 22- May 28. All you need is two full-fare paying parents or adults in the same cabin and the little prince and princesses sail along for free. The offer covers a variety of stateroom categories, but the number of available cabins is limited. And you still have to pay taxes and fees for all of the stateroom occupants. Still, it's a good deal. (Mention code FREE when booking.)

Photo courtesy Disney Cruise Lines 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Thanks to a sharp blog reader who pointed out to me that the Norwegian Majesty ship was sold, according to CruiseCritic.com. After checking with an NCL spokesperson,  I was able to ferret out some more info about the deal.

The cruise ship, which has been making runs from Baltimore to Bermuda for the past year several years, was sold earlier this year for $162 million to Louis Group, a hotel and cruise business based in Cyprus. Norwegian Cruise Line continues to operate cruises utilizing the ship through October 2009, so there's no problem if you already have a booking. The ship's final cruise from Baltimore will be a repositioning cruise next August.

Still, this all begs the question: Will Norwegian redeploy another, possibly newer, ship to Baltimore for 2010? Or will they simply sail away? And if they do, will it matter since Baltimore's port has gained two new cruise lines, Celebrity and Carnival. And Royal Caribbean still sails to Bermuda, so all is not lost.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

If you're so not afraid of pirates and want to save money on some of the first cruises of the season, this deal's for you. Crucon.com, an online cruise discount site, has an early bird special on cruises from Baltimore to Bermuda aboard the Norwegian Majesty.

Cruises departing May 31 and June 7 start at $519 per person for an inside cabin, $609 for oceanview. That's about $30-$40 less than Norwegian Cruise Line's official site. However, Crucon.com is throwing in a shipboard credit of $100-$150 per cabin for the first 100 cabins booked by Dec. 12. So that's the real deal.

Plus last week, Norwegian announced it was getting rid of fuel surcharges for all 2009 sailings, as long as the price of oil stays below $65 a barrel. For those who have already booked their trip, the cruise line is refunding the surcharges in the form of an onboard credit. On the same day, Royal Caribbean said "me too." Carnival was the first to drop the fuel fees, but it looks like the other cruise companies are falling in line. Any airlines wanna get onboard?

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

It looks like the pesky and potentially dangerous pirates of the Arabian Sea are starting to impact the way cruise lines do business. The luxury German cruise line Hapag-Lloyd is evacuating 300 passengers and crew (not the captain, we hope) from its Columbus ship before it gets to the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia, where pirates have been wreaking havoc for several months.

The Columbus is in the middle of a round-the-world cruise, but instead of floating along, the passengers will be put on a plane in some undisclosed location and then flown to the next port of call, where they will meet the ship - provided it makes it through the gulf intact and pirate-free. Now, to be sure, the cruise passengers are sorta getting a bonus: they will spend 3 days at a five-star resort waiting for the ship to arrive. Now that's some pirate's booty.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Yes, $399. It's so unbelievable that I may need to take a few days off - 14 days to be exact - to investigate this deal from Norwegian Cruise Line. I wrote about NCL's repositioning cruise back in August, when inside cabins started at $699. Sounded good then and now at $300 less, it sounds crazy good. The cruise leaves Saturday from Philadelphia, so you have to be able to book and just go. Ports includes Nassau, Aruba, Curacao, St. Thomas and more.The debarkation point is Charleston, so it's not roundtrip. But who cares! It's $399! And they're offering free onboard credit. Need I say more?

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Maryland cruise fans are going to be in heaven in 2009. Yesterday, the governor's office announced that Celebrity Cruises will begin offering cruises from Baltimore beginning next fall. The destinations for the Celebrity Mercury ship include St. Thomas, Antigua, Nassau and Key West.

So that makes four big lines - Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity - offering more than nearly 60 cruises from Baltimore next year. Wow, how things have changed from the Baltimore-Bermuda humdrum runs. (We love those, yes, but variety is nice, too.)

If you want to try out the Celebrity Mercury early, the cruise line will be offering a 17-night repositioning cruise from San Diego to Baltimore, via the Panama Canal, next October. Other stops include Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia. Rates start at $1,499 for an inside cabin (double occupancy). Cruise heaven, indeed.

(Photo: Celebrity Cruise line's Galaxy ship at the Dundalk Terminal back in 2002)

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Everybody's talking about its governor, but let's talk about Alaska's glaciers and glorious beauty. One of the most popular ways to experience Alaska is by cruise, according to folks at AAA-Mid-Atlantic. "Alaska is often considered a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many travelers," says Julie Kelly, who works in the Timonium branch of the auto club. That's why they're hosting a series of free travel seminars called "On Stage Alaska."

The program includes a film about Alaska, info from travel experts and cruise planning tips. You don't have to be a member of AAA to take part, but you may need a reservation. The first seminar is tonight in Columbia at the Hilton Inn. More dates to follow in White Marsh, Annapolis, Westminster and Frederick. To stake your claim, call 410-616-1900.

(Photo: A Princess Cruise ship in Alaska. Associated Press) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

As luck would have it, tropical storm Hanna is cruising up the Atlantic coast with plans to swing right by us. Not so good. I was all set to wave off Baltimore cruisegoers this weekend, but after checking the schedule I see there are no cruises set to depart Locust Point this weekend. Talk about lucky.

It's the gap in schedule as Norwegian Cruise Line's Majesty moves out and Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas moves in for fall. Either way, the cruise season is almost over. Only 8 cruises from Baltimore remain, with destinations to Bermuda, New England and the Caribbean.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

As if dealing with one storm is not enough. But cruise lines are having to play roulette with several ships at sea or just heading out. Cruises from Mobile, Ala. and Galveston, Texas, scheduled to head back tomorrow, are staying out to sea longer because of Gustav. This, of course, means that passengers on the next scheduled cruise will also be affected, as detailed at CruiseCritic.com.

Out in the Alantic, tropical storm Hanna is moseying along, disrupting cruises departing Florida for the Bahamas or the Caribbean. Carnival and Royal Caribbean have canceled some port calls in the Bahamas and Grand Cayman and re-ordered itineraries elsewhere. You can't fight Mother Nature, but you can work around her.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Ever wondered what really happens belowstairs on a cruise ship? Wonder, no longer. Author Micha Berman, who was raised in Baltimore, has a new book chronicling his life as an assistant cruise director aboard Carnival's megaton ship, Ecstasy.

Berman wrote Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship to take travelers behind the scenes and below decks into the secret lives of the ship's crew. If you can take that much drama, Berman will talk about it in person at the Ivy Bookshop on Falls Road at 4 p.m. Saturday. He can also be heard on WYPR tomorrow.

I asked Berman to give us some good advice on taking a cruise vacation, especially for those doing it for the first time. Here's what he said:

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Thinking about a fall cruise? CruisesOnly.com is having a summer sale with some good deals on cruises in September and October. Fall foliages makes that a popular time for the Canada/New England sailings -- mostly from New York, but Royal Caribbean does offer a 9-day cruise from Baltimore to New England with port calls in Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia etc. Rates start at $849. CruisesOnly.com is offering $25 in shipboard credit if you book by Wednesday.

If you like planning waaay ahead, they also have bookings available for the Carnival Pride, which comes to Baltimore next year. A 6-night cruise to the Bahamas and Florida starts at $479. You have to wait until September 2009 to get your float on, but it's something to look forward to.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

I've never thought of buying art from one of those auctions on cruise ships. I was always skeptical (and a little low on cash). Now, I know why. Check out this story from yesterday's New York Times. 

Basically, you don't always get what you pay for. 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Geez, those glaciers can really get in the way of a captain sailing with a blindfold. Oh. You're supposed to actually watch where you're going? Well, somebody tell that to Cruise West, the travel company offering cruises in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park. For the third time this season, one of its ships had a problem in Alaska's Inside Passage. 

Yesterday morning the Spirit of Glacier Bay ran aground during a four-day cruise with 51 people onboard. There were no injuries and the ship was able to refloat several hours later. However, the U.S. Coast Guard, which responded to yesterday's incident, has recently been reviewing the Seattle-based company's safety and performance, according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News.

The good news is the company is doing the right thing in giving passengers a full refund of their cruise fare -- but half of that is a credit applied toward a future cruise. Second time's a charm, but somebody get the captain a pair of binoculars or something.

(Photo courtesy National Park Service) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It's way too early to sound the alarm, but it doesn't hurt to be aware that an early-bird hurricane, named Bertha, has formed in the open waters of the Atlantic. Those who have an upcoming cruise to the Caribbean or Bermuda, should take note, especially if your cruise is scheduled for this week or next.

I just checked the five-day forecast from the National Hurricane Center and the storm is expected to reach Category 2 status (winds near 100 mph) later today. Yikes. The forecast shows a certain land mass -- Bermuda -- right in its path. Norwegian Cruise Line's Majesty ship is scheduled to leave Baltimore headed to Bermuda on Saturday. Anyone who has a ticket for that ship should check with the cruise line. Often they will simply change the itinerary to avoid the storm, but sometimes that's not possible.

Like I said, no need to panic -- we know how these forecasts can change. Best to simply be prepared -- even better if you bought trip insurance.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Carnival is coming! Carnival is coming! No, they're not British, but they are a really big cruise line and they're set to arrive in Baltimore next year. This is a really good get that's sure to be a boon for our cruise terminal and cruise lovers, too.

I'm not the biggest fan of Carnival as a cruise line simply because I prefer smaller, more intimate ships. Too many people makes me nervous. But it'll be nice for Baltimore travelers to have another option for cruising. After all, how many times can you go to Bermuda? 

Carnival plans to offer two different 7-day itineraries to the Caribbean aboard the 2,124-passenger ship Carnival Pride. The ship gets good ratings at CruiseCritic.com. You can also take a virtual tour of the staterooms, restaurants, lounges and other features of the Pride at Carnival's Web site.

(Photo: Carnival Pride, by Associated Press) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

A couple who sailed six times on Royal Caribbean ships have been given the heave-ho by the company and banned from the cruise line forever. Their crime? They complained too much, according to expertcruiser.com.

When their cabin plumbing overflowed, they demanded another room. Seems reasonable. When a faulty door latch locked out the husband on the balcony for hours, the duo asked for compensation. Maybe some free cocktails. But Royal Caribbean says they went overboard with their criticisms posted online at Cruisecritic.com, a popular travel Web site.

I say the cruise line has lost its bearings. Whatever happened to the customer is always right? Even the whiny ones. Look, it should be a some RCL flack's personal challenge to please these picky customers. Why? Because there are lots of other cruise lines. Because word of mouth spreads like wildfire. Because they're the big kid in the playground and can afford to play nice.

What do you guys think? Should RCL have banned this miserable couple?

(Photo: RCL's Freedom of the Seas off the coast of Cozumel. Photo by Chicago Tribune) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:36 PM | Permalink |