Sir Richard is at it again; introducing Virgin Voyages. Virgin Voyages debuts in 2020; Virgin Voyages is an adults only line with many of the unique twists you’d expect from Virgin Brands. Have you flown on Virgin Atlantic? Or, the former Virgin America? Get ready for Virgin voyages’ new twist on adults only cruising.
Fun, hip & not for everyone: Why Virgin Voyages is banking on being different
Fun, hip & not for everyone: Why Virgin Voyages is banking on being different – Posted by Travel Week Cindy Sosroutomo
Virgin Voyages is going to bank on a strong partnership wit the travel trade. They will start with the “Scarlett Lady out of Miami in 2020”. Further, Virgin Voyages target is young at heart adults…read more.
Virgin Voyages released the first pics from its first ship and it looks insane
Sir Richard is aiming to have this ship appear like a wellness retreat. As far as wellness goes, there are exciting new twists on onboard including fitness, and how about a spa with a DJ? Read More
Cruises: New cruise liner to DITCH buffet dining – and have this unusual option instead
Virgin Voyages will do away with buffet dining and formal attire! One of the ramifications of “buffet-less” dining is less food waste as this new cruise line seeks to be sustainable. Get ready to explore 20 different eateries and NO main dining room. READ MORE
Think of some of the best meals you’ve had at the best places. That is what Virgin Voyages is trying to create for their onboard experience. They’ve searched cities all over the world for their best dining experiences! Next, they set up theme dining experiences with Hollywood set designers. Read More
Virgin Voyages Will Build Fourth Ship
Travel Pulse Ana Figueroa (rendering courtesy of Virgin Voyages)
Virgin Voyages now has 4 ships on order even though their first voyage is not until 2020! There are two ships currently under production. Read More
Interested in further developments ? Future booking opportunities to experience Virgin Voyages for yourself? Be sure to contact me! And while you’re reading this, please check out another article about different types of cruise styles.
I recently attend a seminar with MSC Cruises – Is MSC Cruises the Best Cruise Line You’ve Never Heard Of?
MSC Cruises is part of a worldwide financial powerhouse. Chances are you may have never heard of MSC Cruises nor actually sailed on MSC Cruises. In addition to cruising, MSC is a huge container cargo company and a major terminal operator. Before we get into why you really must consider trying them out, I’d like to share a couple of pictures from the seminar.
MSC Cruises Meraviglia
Although, I did not win any ship swag, I’m just happy to win this little Lego of the brand new MSC Meraviglia!
MSC History and Background
Technology leader – MSC is developing a practical man-overboard technology
MSC is a true leader in itineraries serving the world including South America, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, South Africa along with everywhere else you would expect such as Caribbean, Europe, etc.
192 nationalities welcomed aboard
Global Melting pot on-board for both guests and crew
Fastest growing cruise line with multiple new ships coming!
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve- a “Private Island” Experience like no other
Have you been to any Cruise Lines’ “Private Islands? I have, and I’ve visited three of them. Some are better than others but they are a fun experience right off of your ship.
Experience your “own” beach club-like experience with drinks, lunch, and activities. MSC will really shatter-the-mold with their Ocean Cay Reserve.
10 beaches and a lagoon
A pier – so NO tendering required, and a family section close to the pier.
60 Miles East of Miami
Guests will experience seaside restaurants and a tiki bar
Serves as the LAST port of call and ship will stay LATE into the evening featuring entertainment in an outdoor amphitheater.
Yacht Club guests will experience their own second island linked to the main island with VIP butler service
MSC also has a private island in the Persian Gulf: Sir Bani Yas Island; you can explore HERE
Is MSC Cruises Right for you?
Like to travel internationally and meet travelers from all over the world (Italy, France, Spain, Germany and more)
Excellent value for those new to cruising; e.g. Wi-Fi for $79.99 on a 7D cruise for 4 devices.
Retired couples looking for elegance
Frequent cruisers looking for a new experience – YES, MSC honors your loyalty benefits
Multi generational families with varying incomes and preferences
the higher the category you book, the more all-inclusive the experience is for you.
MSC Cruises Status Match Program
Do you have a Loyalty/VIP with another cruise line? hotel?
MSC Cruised wants you to try them; SO, bring your loyalty status and they’ll match it. John the MSC Voyagers Club at no charge and receive a matching status card, guaranteeing you a 5% discount on any booking plus much more:
Save an extra 5-15% off on select voyages
Top-tier Black Card members enjoy additional benefits like:
Priority boarding and disembarkation
Late stateroom checkout
An invitation to a private Black Card member party
Complimentary Spumante with chocolate dipped fruit
A free one-hour thermal area session in the MSC Aurea Spa & so much more
MSC Dining
You will taste authentic Mediterranean cuisine and gourmet international favorites
There’s a wide selection of specialties in the main dining rooms with many scratch made items including pastas and breads. As this is a true European experience, you will find smaller portions onboard for your to enjoy multiple courses. YES, you can order multiple entrees.
Enjoy the buffet open for 20 Hours a day with multiple display kitchen areas
Enjoy the specialty dining restaurants
Finally, enjoy private dining for guests of the MSC Yacht Club
MSC Current Offers
Contact me to discuss MSC’s current offer and see why MSC just may be the best cruise line you’ve never heard of.
The situation that required preventing unacceptable flight connections.
I have two special long-time clients anticipating a life-long dream for three weeks in Brazil on an “upper premium” cruise. The cruise line was offering an unbeatable offer for air fare down to Rio de Janeiro and back from Miami – where the cruise ends. My special guests are in their 80s and I try to take special care to enure all transfers, and everything in between all points are covered for them. I received the air schedule, and the flights down to Rio de Janeiro are as expected with an overnight flight out of Miami.
The problem is with the flights coming back up from Miami. See for yourself:
Does this sound like a reasonable way to go home after getting off of a a three week cruise? Would you enjoy this flight itinerary? Now, imagine doing this flight connection in your mid to late 80s. Remember, I claim that I will eliminate you travel stress! Read on to see what happens.
The first attempt at preventing unacceptable flight connections
I immediately started researching one-way air from Miami back up to Newark; flights were expensive as this is the day before Easter. I found numerous connecting and direct flights with availability. I called the cruise line to strongly but politely request changing the flights for my guests. They told me they would charge a $175 per person “air deviation” fee. I will reveal a cruise industry insider’s tip right NOW! The “air deviation” fee is cruise line lingo for actually putting you on a flight that you’d like as opposed to putting you on whatever flights they feel like. (I rarely recommend cruise line provided “free” air but in some cases it is the way to go.)
The cruise line got back to me stating that there were no other flights available. REALLY! I told them to cancel the air back up to Newark and I”d take care of it on my own. A little while later, I noticed that they issued a refund for ALL of the flights. I called back desperate and asked them to reinstate the whole air itinerary. Remember, this case was one of the rare instances where the cruise line supplied air to Rio was unbeatable. They put all of the flights back on and that was it for round one.
The second attempt at preventing unacceptable flight connections
OK, it’s now day 2 and I feel great that my dear clients’ air to Rio is back on but I can’t have them coming back the night prior to Easter at Midnight from Miami. I carefully analyzed direct flights and flights with one stop from Miami back up to Newark. While the direct flights were crazy expensive, some of the better connections were via Tampa with a change of carrier which meant claiming and checking 3 weeks worth of luggage in with another carrier…forget it!
The final results for preventing unacceptable flight connections in this case
I decided to check flights from Fort Lauderdale up to Newark. I found a great direct flight on Jet Blue. While the cost was still high it was less than the direct flights from Miami and my guests would get back to Newark at a reasonable time with no stops. The clients approved the new flight; I booked it and made sure that the cruise line just canceled the air from Miami back up to Newark. Now my clients will just need to take a roughly thirty mile transfer up to Fort Lauderdale.
JetBlue Airways Flight 506 320
Ft Lauderdale (FLL)
Newark Liberty (EWR) 01:45pm – Sat, Apr 19
04:52pm – Sat, Apr 19 Nonstop Coach
If you found this post useful please share below and remember I’m here to help you with all aspects of your trip.
Disney Magic cruise ship (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Read on for my story of our cruise to Canada; I took my family on the Disney Magic from New York City to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick from September 2 – 7. This was a unique experience with some good and some bad. We jumped on this cruise to Canada as Disney was offering a guaranteed verandah stateroom at an unheard of price. Our stateroom assignment could not have been much better as it was almost midship on Deck 6 – cabin 6548.
We visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia (just $8.75/adult in high season). It’s a compact museum (easy walk from cruise terminal) that does a great job telling the story of some of the major events occurring in Halifax including Halifax’s role in the Titanic aftermath.
Had to take this picture at an indoor pedestrian mall in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The next day, we did a St John/Bay of Fundy by land and sea tour. I had a hard time finding shore excursions via my preferred providers and wound up going with Disney Cruise Line as a last resort. We saw a lot of sites in the cold rain on a tour bus and boat. Then we had lunch in the old city market. Yes, I went with the cruise line. Read this post as to why “official” cruise line shore excursions are NOT the way to go. PS I overheard a lady at the shore excursions desk ask if the Grayline tour bus was “approved” by Disney. Let’s face it, the cruise lines collect your cash with a nice profit and then hand you off to the local ground operator. The cruise lines prefer to pack large buses with lots of profit…oops, people.
I enjoy putting my guests on memorable excursions to experience their destination. Read another story about a successful 3rd party shore excursion.
Back to Disney Cruise Line
PROS
The best kids club, by far, hands down…kids even get to put on a show in the main theater
Disney Verandah cabin is other cruise line’s mini/junior suite
“Split” Bathroom was fabulous (sink and toilet in one room and another sink and shower tub combo in another room)
5 Day itinerary was perfect for a quick getaway: one sea day, 2 port days and another sea day
CONS
More rules that this Master Cruise Counselor has ever experienced on any other cruise – dining policies are very rigid and seem dated compared with other cruise line flexibility.
Old ship and IMHO, there’s only so much they can do to make it presentable
Worst buffet ever IMHO and rarely open when we needed it…this may be different on the newer ships
You have to give your room number at the restaurants for breakfast and lunch so they can track everything – that’s a first
Security screening at ports of call occurs in the main lobby of the ship which just seems out of place – another first
Here is a list of the Top 10 Differences of Small Ship vs. Large Ship cruising according to webinar presented by Variety Cruises covering accommodations, dining, entertainment, itineraries, excursions, and more. We’re going to focus on the small ship difference as big ship cruising get most of the press!
While the demand for big cruise ships continues to increase, there’s also an increased momentum for the intimacy of small ship cruising. (Refer to our River Cruise article.) Similar to the difference between a boutique hotel and a sprawling all-inclusive resort, large ship offerings innately differ from small ships, and the choice is based on YOUR preferences.
Variety Cruises M/Y Harmony G
1) Accommodations Beautifully appointed boutique-style accommodations all have large windows or portholes and many river ships offer balconies.
2) Dining Think intimate, casual meals including delicious local recipes. Smaller ships may restock the pantries on a daily basis from local markets with fresh goods. Many Variety Cruises itineraries are half board—breakfast and one meal—depending on the schedule, encouraging guests to explore the culinary offerings ashore. Why rush back to the ship for a free meal and miss out on the local cuisine and culture?
3) Service & Crew With a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1-to-2, service is about as personalized as it can get. By the first day you’ll find yourself on a first-name basis with the captain and the crew. On the ground, local reps are your personal ambassadors to every region.
4) Services & Amenities Small ships and mega-yachts have inside and outside dining areas, a spacious sundeck, a swimming platform, lounge areas, a bar and multiple observation decks. Some have a spa and fitness center. While there is on board entertainment, your vacation is all about what you experience on shore. The ships aren’t the destination—they’re only the best way to get there.
5) Itineraries Small ships take you to smaller, more authentic ports. The combination of famous with off-the-beaten-track is key, and it’s made possible because of the small ship size (i.e., well known Mykonos paired with Folegandros, also known as the “Secret Santorini”.) Fewer countries are visited allowing a more in-depth experience of the cultures, the communities and the cuisine.
6) Swimming
Compare this to a large ship pool! A quick swim stop in the Aegean Sea for guests aboard the Galileo.
Your captain will drop anchor next to beautiful secluded beaches
or coves (weather permitting), where you can dive right off the yacht
from our modern swimming platforms. Hint: our pool is actually the Aegean Sea!
7) On Board Entertainment Vegas stays in Vegas: Variety Cruises offers a fancy Captain’s dinner, local cuisine night with local dances, daily lectures, a library room, free Internet, delightful daily swim stops, ample sun deck space and more for an enjoyable on board stay. Onshore, naturalists and on board experts help you explore the region through lectures and discussions.
Big ship cruising is great for families with younger kids. There’s never a dull moment between the casino, the Vegas style shows, the arcades, the entertainment teams, the fitness classes, the rock climbing, and much more.
8) Excursions Shore excursions are composed of small intimate groups—no waiting in line. Guests have ample leisure time at each of the ports and are encouraged to explore on their own, with the cruise director’s full help and guidance. Major cruise ships are usually too massive to dock directly in most ports. Time-consuming tenders are employed daily to help hundreds (or thousands) of guests get to shore…and back again.
9) Embarkation/Disembarkation Our yachts usually dock right in the village ports,where guests can walk on and off the ship at their own pace. No massive cruise ports; we opt for private yacht ports all the way. Thanks to their size, large ships are only affected by very extreme weather conditions.
10) Weather High winds may impact scheduled itineraries; some might think this is a down side of small ship cruising. However, our Captains are experts at redirecting the itineraries when necessary in the best and safest way possible, often allowing guests to discover secluded, secret destinations. Variety Cruises, essentially sails with the wind, just like private yachts and sailboats.
Want to more information about Variety Cruises, river cruises, or something else? Start planning your next trip today and complete our travel planning survey below.
