Discounted cruises - things you should know

What is the same thing did 11 million people worldwide do in 2004? They took a cruise. Of course, some extremely rich people did not take a cruise technically but they used their yachts and spent days in opulence in the midst of the ocean. But for people like you and me, we have to be content with a cruise package offered by various travel agencies. If you think cruising is for old people or your parents, than you are wrong, my friend. Before you hurry up and buy your discounted cruise tickets advertised in the Internet or one of those travel magazines, you should be aware of the reality. Cruise prices are going up every year. Rooms are filling up very fast. So, bargains may not always be available. However, bargain prices can be found just before or after the holidays, or in shoulder seasons. Shoulder seasons vary from region to region, for example September for Alaskan cruises.Get ready for some unexpected problems in a deep discounted cruise ship. But, hey, don't forget that you also saved a bundle by purchasing a discounted trip. Engine problems are very common and some port of calls may be cancelled due to engine problems. If a port of call is cancelled you may have little recourse for a partial refund because your discounted ticket may have small prints that say that the cruise line can change their itinerates at their discretion.Imagine thousands of people in close proximity in a cruise ship. What do you expect? Well, how about viruses? Yes, a cruise ship is an idle breeding ground for all those nasty viruses. Check the CDC (center for Disease Control) web site for worldwide virus outbreak. But that should not dampen your cruise going spirit. Just stay healthy, exercise, wash your hands frequently with disinfecting soap and you will be fine.Don't pay a premium for airfare purchased through the cruise lines even if they promise you that they will hold the ship if your flight is delayed. Shop for your own airfare and the connections you prefer. Most of the time you will be ahead of the game and you don't have to fly red eye or use lousy connections.If the cruise line is promising an all-inclusive fare, try to understand their language. They are saying, hey, we will cover your foods, non-alcoholic drinks, and entertainment. You are on your own if you want to get intoxicated. But that should be fine because there is not much opportunity to spend a fortune in a discounted cruise ship.Don't fall for the gourmet food hype. Realize that it is a buffet style food, plenty, good but definitely not gourmet. There may be alternative restaurants besides the buffet style food. Sometimes, you have to pay in those restaurants. So be prepared for that. When the ship arrives at a port of call, either you can purchase their excursion tour or explore on your own. These excursion tours are money maker for cruise lines. If you want to purchase travel insurance, shop at insuremytrip.com and try to avoid the insurance offered by the cruise line. Don't get upset, if you find beer and pretzels, instead of, champagne and caviar. Enjoy your cruise and be happy that you are not spending a fortune for your vacation.

The History Of Celebrity Cruise Lines

The Chandris Line was the precursor of Celebrity Cruises. One of the ships operated by Chandris was the beautiful Liner America previously owned by the United States Line and initially captained by Demitrios Challioris who had been in charge of a crude oil tanker in Southampton.Chandris bought the largest passenger liner ever in Greece called the Australis. The Australis had served extensively as a troop ship during the second world war so underwent a major refit and became a one-class configuration geared to carry 2300 passengers.The aft promenade decks were extended, a swimming poolwas added, and air conditioning was installed.She made 3 month voyages around the world from Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Southampton, Casablanca, Las Palmas, Cape Town,(or through the Mediterranean via Gibraltar, Naples, Malta, Piraeus, Port Said and Aden), Freemantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Suva, Tahiti, Acapulco, Balboa, Cristobal, Port Everglades and return to Southampton.Chandris Lines also had the Australian Government's prized immigrant contract bringing tens of thousands of new immigrants out to major ports in Australia.The ships were always sold out so that there were 3 sittings for dinner and special sittings for kids. P&O, a rival cruise line, had ceased the line voyage business to Australia so that the Australis was now known as "the world's largest express liner" .In 1977 Australis tried a new itinerary from the South Pacific to points in South America to Portugal. Interest in Sea Travel at that time was low and Australis and became the sole remaining liner on the trade. New Immigrants now traveled by jet.In November of 1977 Australis was laid up. In 1978 she was sold to US investors. They mismanaged the ship and their company, Venture Cruises, was declared bankrupt.Guess who bought the ship in bankruptcy court? Chandris Lines. For $4 million less than the amount for which they sold her four months earlier!The ship was laid up and sold in 1992. Celebrity Cruises was created by Chandris Lines as a separate luxury cruise line, initially using Chandris's Galileo, which was renamed Meridian after she was rebuilt. She was joined by the new ships Horizon and Zenith in 1990 and 1992.In 1989 there was a need in the Cruise Industry for a luxury product at a decent price. Chandris wanted to establish a worldwide standard for cruising by The company was determined to set a new, worldwide standard for cruising.Exceptional Cuisine and all its facets became the mainstay of the Celebrity Cruise experience. Master Chefs serve as the line's revered culinary and wine consultants since its founding.In 1995 Celebrity introduced the so called Century Class Fleet with an Industry first: Luxurious Spa Experiences. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises merged with Royal Caribbean International, bringing together two extraordinary cruise brands within one corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Today Royal Caribbean uses 29 Cruise Liners.Cruising has become so popular that from 2000 to 2002 Royal Caribbean doubled its passenger capacity. Its newest ships use gas turbine engines reducing exhaust emissions by 95% and have become traveling art shows as well. They boast original paneling and artifacts from famous transatlantic luxury liners.In 2001, building on the strengths of both the Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises brands,Royal Celebrity Tours was started to offer truly unique vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe, combining outstanding cruises with exceptional pre- or post-cruise land tour packages now known as "cruisetours."Frank Vanderlugt loves Celebrity Cruise Lines.http://www.celebrity-cruise-now.info and http://www.2qz.com/condo-cruise-ship and http://www.condo-cruise-ship.com