Oil Ante - Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azmara Cruise lines Increase Fuel Surcharges

Get ready to pay more for a cruise on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara, the latest lines to hike fuel surcharges.

The three brands, all owned by Royal Caribbean, unveiled plans late Tuesday to boost their fuel surcharge on ships from $5 to $8 per person per day for the first and second passengers in a cabin. The line also is adding a new fee of $3 per person, per day for "third" and "fourth" passengers in cabins.

The change will apply for new bookings that come in on or after May 1.

The increase in fuel surcharges at Royal Caribbean brands comes just five days after Norwegian Cruise Line raised its fuel surcharge by $2 to $9 per per person, per day. Rival Carnival Corp. also recently announced that it will hike fuel surcharges by $2 to $7 per person, per day at six lines that it owns, including Carnival, Princess, Cunard and Holland America.Cruise lines began adding fuel surcharges last November as oil prices approached $100 a barrel, and industry executives say they have no choice but to raise the fees again as oil prices push even higher. Fuel is one of the biggest costs at cruise lines, and the soaring cost of oil is having a notable impact on industry earnings.

In a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts, Carnival noted that its cruise ship brands alone are paying more than $500 million more for fuel this year than in 2007. Royal Caribbean announces their earnings today.

New Itinerary from New York on the Carnival "Miracle"

Carnival plans to expand its New York operation a bit in 2009 with a new Caribbean itinerary that includes a stop in the Turks & Caicos.

The eight-night voyages, on the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, will include stops in Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; the private island of Half Moon Cay; and Nassau in the Bahamas.

Carnival has offered eight-night cruises from New York to the eastern Caribbean since 2003, first on the Carnival Legend and then on the Miracle. Until now the trips have stuck to the ports of San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., and Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Carnival says the Miracle will follow the new itinerary about once a month between May and September of 2009. The rest of the time it will continue to offer the ship's traditional itinerary.

What's behind the new routing? In a statement accompanying the announcement, Carnival said the Turks -- a relatively new port for the major lines -- has quickly become a popular destination with its customers.

Another reason the line may be eager to switch to the new itinerary is that it will require less fuel than the Miracle's existing route. Oil prices have been soaring in recent months, forcing Carnival and other lines to pay millions of dollars more in fuel costs.

Port of Costa Maya to Reopen in July

The popular port of Costa Maya will be back on cruise itineraries starting this summer.

The storm-ravaged Mexican destination announced plans today to reopen in July with two fully functional berthing spaces, and it also said all the major lines that have called there in the past have committed to return.

Costa Maya, the Western Caribbean’s first port designed exclusively for the cruise ship industry, is strategically located just hours from Cancun on Mexico’s southern Yucatan Peninsula. Resembling an ancient Mayan city, Costa Maya is able to accommodate three ships at once and entertain visitors to a destination that showcases the ancient and colonial heritage of the Mexican Caribbean with all of today’s conveniences. Set against the deep turquoise sea, Costa Maya is comprised of three grand pavilions, artisan and luxury shopping areas, a beach club, saltwater pools, fine restaurants and bars, and all the resources necessary to explore the surrounding jungle and coral reefs.It is the region’s most complete and diverse port of call providing cultural, natural and archeological excursions. Costa Maya is one of only six ports in the Western Caribbean to receive over one million passengers per year.

Hurricane Dean almost totally destroyed Costa Maya last August, causing extensive damage to its pier and facilities. At first it looked like the destination wouldn't reopen until this coming September, but by January officials were confident that they could reopen by summer. Today's announcement sets a specific month and confirms that major lines will return.

Among the lines that Costa Mayan officials say have agreed to return are Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Disney and Cunard. Officials say the rebuilt piers will be capable of handing the industry's biggest cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean's record-setting, 5,400-passenger Genesis vessels debuting in 2009.

Officials also announced that a third berth would open at Costa Maya by November.

Celebrity Announces Los Angeles to Alaska Cruises for 2009!

Hubbard Glacier is the reigning beauty in Celebrity Cruises’ Alaska, where the breathtakingly rugged splendor of the natural world meets the comfortable sophistication of a top-notch cruise. Guests on all three Celebrity ships that will sail in the region in 2009 will have the opportunity to gaze at the glacier, which is the only advancing glacier in Alaska. Hubbard Glacier is but one of countless must-see sights in the region, and much of Alaska’s coastal magnificence is featured in Celebrity’s 2009 season there. Unique cruisetours will afford guests the opportunity to experience inland Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, and Whistler, British Columbia. Celebrity Cruises’ 2009 Alaska sailings opened for sale last week.

Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Mercury, and Celebrity Millennium will sail Alaska in 2009, from a total of five ports. The season’s cruise highlights include the following:

•Celebrity is offering the industry’s first roundtrip Alaska cruise out of Los Angeles, with a 14-night roundtrip “Ultimate Alaska” sailing on Celebrity Mercury. The voyage includes visits to five Alaska ports as well as Seattle, Washington and Victoria, British Columbia, on April 27. Immediately following that cruise, the ship will sail a 13-night “Ultimate Alaska” voyage from Los Angeles to Vancouver, also visiting five Alaska ports, among others.

•Celebrity Millennium will sail the line’s first 10-night roundtrip-from-Vancouver sailing with an “Ultimate Alaska” voyage on September 18, visiting six Alaska ports and one Canadian port.

•At the core of Celebrity’s 2009 Alaska season is a series of seven-night sailings between May and September that include stunning views of Hubbard Glacier, with the itineraries varying between the three ships.

•Celebrity Infinity will depart Fridays roundtrip from Seattle, visiting Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia. Nearly all of these sailings also feature a call at Icy Strait Point, giving guests the opportunity to experience Alaska’s only wilderness port.

•Adjacent to the largest Tlingit Indian settlement and home to the historic salmon cannery and carefully restored museum, Icy Strait Point offers numerous shore excursions, including flightseeing, whale watching, sport fishing, biking, kayaking, and rides on the world’s longest zip line, which measures 5,330 feet in length and includes a 1,300-foot vertical drop.

•Celebrity Mercury will depart Sundays roundtrip from Vancouver, calling at Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, and cruising the famed Inside Passage, one of National Geographic Traveler’s highly rated destinations.

•In Juneau, the “Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast” excursion lets guests board a floatplane and enjoy 50 minutes of flightseeing over five glaciers before landing at the historic Taku Lodge for a King salmon feast.

•Celebrity Millennium will cruise between Seward, Alaska and Vancouver, British Columbia, departing on Fridays, calling at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, and cruising the Inside Passage.•In Ketchikan, guests can taste local seafood in an intimate setting with the “Alaskan Chef’s Table” excursion.•Celebrity Mercury will reprise its popular 2007 and 2008 wine cruise with an 11-night sailing from Vancouver to San Diego, California on October 12, 2009.

•Celebrity Mercury will continue to alternate between three- and four-night Pacific Northwest sailings out of Seattle in September and October, with calls at Nanaimo and Victoria, British Columbia.•In Victoria, the “Butchart Gardens, Wine and Chocolate” shore excursion gives guests an introduction to the city’s charms, including the renowned Butchart Gardens and a unique wine-and-chocolate-pairing experience at a local winery.

Combining a cruise with a multi-night, land-based journey enhances the Alaska experience. In 2009, Celebrity is increasing its cruisetour offerings. Highlights include the following:

•A total of 21 Alaska cruisetours are available to guests sailing seven-night voyages on Celebrity Millennium out of Seward and Vancouver.•In 2009, these offerings include a new seven-night post-cruise tour through Seward, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks, Alaska.

•Three Canadian cruisetour journeys (two Canadian Rockies and one Whistler) are available to guests sailing seven-night voyages on Celebrity Mercury out of Vancouver.

•A five-night Canadian Rockies package featuring rail travel on Rocky Mountaineers’ RedLeaf will visit Calgary, Banff and Vancouver.•A three-night Whistler package features rail travel on Rocky Mountaineers’ Whistler Mountaineer Coast Classic and visits the 2010 Winter Olympics sites of Vancouver and Whistler.

NEW! - Passports NOT Required for Cruises (Mexico/Canada/Caribbean) Until June 1, 2009

Starting June 1, 2009, travelers entering the United States on a cruise will be required to present a passport or other recognized identification document.

The new requirement was outlined today by the U.S. government during a final ruling on travel documents for land and sea borders. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative calls for travelers to present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the country.

HOWEVER, we strongly recommend that you obtain your passport as soon as possible, even though it is not required until June 1, 2009.

Think as a passport as a Travelers license; it is good for 10 years and anyone leaving the United States should have one for the following reasons:

1. In the event another 9/11 type terrorist attack occurs while you are outside the U.S., a passport will definitely expedite your re-entry into the U.S.


2. If an emergency occurs while cruising (family death, medical injury or illness etc.) requiring you to fly back to the U.S. from a foreign port you MUST have a valid U.S. passport to return via air.


3. If something occurs in a foreign country that requires interaction with police, customs, or other foreign officials a passport is considered offical identification known by most authorities, whereas a birth certificate or state issued identification may be suspect.


4. When contacting a U.S. consulate or embassy in a foreign country a passport is considered the primary, and best form of identification.

For more information and requirements about applying for a passport visit the U.S. Department of State's website.

Hurricane Season Is Coming - Why the Safest Place to be is on a Cruise Ship

The hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and although hurricanes are generally unpredictable, conventional wisdom has dictated that peak season varies by geography. In the Eastern Caribbean and the east coast of the U.S., the busiest time of the season tends to occur in the mid-August to mid-September time frame. In the Western Caribbean, it runs later, picking up in mid-September and stretching into early November. Early and late-season hurricanes (June, mid- to late-November) are rare but not unprecedented.An "average" hurricane season means we can expect 8 to 11 tropical storms; of these 5 to 7 could develop into full-fledged hurricanes.

How Safe Are Cruise Ships During Hurricanes? The cruise lines have two major considerations during the hurricane season; first, safety and security of their passengers, and the protection of theirs assets (ships, property & personnel).

Cruise lines have been operating in the Caribbean for years and have, by virtue of experience, specific hurricane/tropical storm emergency response plans in effect. These cover everything from designating a bridge officer as the weather monitor during the season, to outfitting ships with state-of-the-art satellites, to backing up on board efforts with expanded staff at headquarters. The trickiest situation for cruise lines whose ships' scheduled ports of call are threatened is finding alternate places to dock or anchor (those ports not already booked up with regular cruise visitors, not to mention other ships looking for a quiet port in a storm). Most common is that cruise lines whose Eastern Caribbean itinerary appears to be in flux will simply switch over to a Western Caribbean port schedule (and vice versa). Can't find a port?

The schedule may include a couple of extra sea days (in calmer waters, naturally).Do you get a refund for missed ports? Alas, no. The fine print in your cruise contract, also known as your ticket, gives lines the right to substitute ports if and when they feel like it.Even Ships Outrunning a Storm Can Encounter Rough WatersWhen the threat of a storm occurs, cruise ships can "outrun" them -- storms tend to move at about 8 to 10 knots, while ships can attain speeds of up to 22 knots and beyond.While improved technology can help ships to evade storms, they can't avoid them entirely -- and you may run into rough waters. You can even experience storm remnants in far away places, such as on one of the seasonal north Atlantic repositioning cruises coming out of Europe.

While they may be tropical storms or even lesser turbulance by the time they reach Iceland, the waters can still be rough. Be prepared -- even the stalwart should pack their favorite seasickness remedy.Can't Get to the Ship?Sometimes hurricane-related problems don't have anything to do with the ship, and everything to do with conditions at the port of embarkation. As we said before, plan ahead. This is a good time of year to build a day or two into your vacation. Aim to arrive in port a couple of days early in case difficulties arise.

Prepare for the possibility -- and it happens -- that you might actually arrive home a day or two late. And bottom line: If you're having trouble getting into your port of embarkation make sure you contact the cruise line. Most will do everything possible, even if they are not obligated, to help you get to the ship, but there's no guarantee.Canceled CruisesThe cruise lines rarely cancel sailings. They will simply deviate itineraries. If a cruise is actually canceled you will, obviously, get a refund. You might also receive a discount on a future cruise. Pretty much the only thing that gets cruises canceled outright (and not even regularly) is when a storm is aiming for major ports of embarkation, such as Ft. Lauderdale's Port Everglades or Miami.

To check the status on a hurricane we have provided the following link:

National Hurricane Center

In the event of a hurricane that is active when you are scheduled to sail, contact the Cruise Center for information of visit the web site of the cruise line for posted information.