Royal Caribbean Heads Underground in New York's Subway

I just had my car wrapped so this I thought this was super fun!  Can you imagine your just going to work one day and you catch your ride in this?

This is from Travel Agent Central
February 6, 2012 By: Susan Young


Royal Caribbean International is targeting New York-area commuters in a brand campaign that involves imagery and messaging both inside and outside the 42^nd Street S line in Manhattan this February.

As commuters are transported between Times Square and Grand Central Station, the cruise line will give them a taste of the Royal Caribbean cruising experience with fully-branded shuttle cars supporting the cruise line’s new messaging.
First rolled out in December 2011, the campaign is focused on reawakening consumers to the sights and sounds of the sea by communicating the decree, “The Sea is Calling. Answer it Royally.”

The subway cars, which are wrapped both inside and out, reflect actual Royal Caribbean cruise ships. The cars’ interiors are each separately wrapped as an onboard theater featuring marquees of some of the Broadway shows guests can see onboard select Royal Caribbean ships such as Hairspray, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever; an onboard spa with bamboo showers and masseuse; as well as an open deck area complete with a surf simulator and surfer.

Each car conveys the options for entertainment, relaxation and adventure that can be enjoyed on a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. Commuters, who will be treated to special surprises during the month, are encouraged to take photographs and videos to share with friends through their social media channels, tagging Royal Caribbean by using the specified hashtag #RoyalShuttle.
Royal Caribbean also challenges fans to find “hidden treasures” in the shuttle artwork, including characters such as Shrek and Po from the cruise line’s exclusive partnership with film studio powerhouse DreamWorks Animation.

Royal Caribbean offers cruising options to Bermuda and the Caribbean out of Bayonne, N.J., and Baltimore, Md., onboard Explorer of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.

What is Changing in the Cruise Industry Right now and where should you look to sail in 2012 ??

If you watch the trends you can get some amazing deals.  Cruising can be a bit like playing the stock market.  Will the fares go up?  Go down?  If I buy now do I have price protection if they do drop, etc, etc.

Basically everything that has to do with what a cabin on a ship will cost you at any given moment all comes down to capacity and how well they are doing at selling the cabins on that particular ship.  So of course that has to do with how many berths are in a certain area of the world competing for your business.

And for those of you who thing that the Cruise Lines are hurting or are sailing with empty berths are wrong.  Ships do now sail less that full capacity, at least not very often.  They will do everything they can to make certain that all the spaces that can hold bodies, do......  What guests spend onboard is more important in some instances that what you spend on your cabin.

It stands to reason that the more luxury type, truly all inclusive product seems pricey up front but you generally can easily walk off the ship with no bill as you paid for everything up front.

Have you ever noticed that the $399 cruise deal that you got wasn't such a great deal when you were faced with charges for everything you wanted to do on the ship and your bank account was suddenly less than it was when you walked on the ship?

Here at Real World Travel and Cruise One we dedicate ourselves to following the trends and knowing what is going on in the world with ship movement and where the deals are likely to strike.  Where it is best to travel right now, money wise, weather wise, crowd wise, etc.

Here is an article I found that is talking about the future and what you can expect and right now if you can get away to Europe, I highly recommend you do so before the end of the season and even next year.  There will still be plenty of ships over there.  Alaska is a great deal right now for the end of the summer. 

Especially the more up market lines are offering lots of incentives unheard of.  And if you are planning a big trip for 2012 or 2013 Australia is a great place to be looking.  I am looking at it myself.  Either there or Asia for 2012.  And of course I would love to have you join me.  I will announce that soon.  This is good reading....

Nancy

Next Generation Cruise Ships Might Not Be the Best

By Paul Motter

Published June 24, 2011 | FOXBusiness

A fundamental change is happening in the cruise industry right now that could affect cruise travelers. 

The major lines are still building new ships, but the long-standing belief that the newest ships are always the best might no longer be true. The next wave of cruise ships set to arrive in 2012 and 2013 will be optimized for the new economic reality.

Many of us thought the economy was fundamentally sound until late 2008 and the cruise industry was no different, believing any setback would be short term. Clearly they were all wrong.

The cruise industry is more pliable than many travel businesses, but cruise lines still have to plan several years in advance to design and build new ships. Between 2000 and 2006, several cruise lines designed and hired shipyards to construct the biggest, most elaborate ships ever including the Celebrity Solstice, Marina by Oceania, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, Holland America's Eurodam, Silversea’s Silver Spirit, Seabourn Odyssey and Disney Dream. This new generation was capped by the two largest and most impressive cruise ships ever, sister ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean.

These new ships were not only much larger than previous ones, but the added room was generously allocated to provide more space per passenger - rather than crowding more people into each vessel. These ships were designed to attract a constantly-growing and financially-stable cruise audience--a group the cruise lines assumed they had.

Ironically, the most ambitious ships of this generation were placed on order around 2005, but the building process takes years, and the first of the new breed was delivered in late 2008--just after the economy tanked.

Even more critical, some lines ordered multiple ships of the same design; the shipyard's bid is based on a commitment to build between two and five of each vessel. For example, the original Celebrity Solstice order was for three identical ships, with an option for two more. The deadline to exercise the option for the final two ships came when the recession was still thought to be just a blip. The option to build the fourth and fifth ships was taken, bringing even more high-quality tonnage online at a time when the economy continued to slip.

Here is the big picture: We have just witnessed the introduction of dozens of new ships that are frankly too good for the current economy. They should command higher cruise fares than they are getting, but cruise lines can only set prices that the market will bear. The people who are fortunate enough to afford to cruise right now are finding bargains everywhere.

Changes in Future Ships

The wave of ships just introduced is the greatest generation, because they were conceived during the optimistic pre-2008 economy. But don't expect to see grand ships like these hitting the waters in the coming years. 

A new generation of ships based on the “new reality” is already on order from NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean. As you might expect, these new ships will carry far more passengers per square foot in order to optimize fuel efficiency and return on investment per passenger.

Consider the Celebrity Solstice, designed in 2005 as a 128,000-ton ship (at the large end of the scale for cruise ships) that carries a mere 2,850 passenger berths. (Cruise ship "tonnage," by the way, is a measure of a vessel's interior space, not its weight.) This ship was delivered in November 2008. Compare this to the new ships ordered for delivery in 2012 and beyond.

But things have changed. NCL has two ships on order, “Project Breakaway” vessels slated for delivery in 2012 and 2013. These ships will have 4,000 passenger berths within 144,000 tons. This is about 30% more passenger capacity for a ship that is only about 11% larger. A far cry from Celebrity Solstice's space offering. In fact, when you consider third and fourth passengers in cabins, the total capacity for Project Breakaway ships could be far higher than 4,000.

The new Royal Caribbean order, “Project Sunshine,” calls for a 158,000-ton ship that will hold 4,100 passenger berths. Compare it to another Royal Caribbean ship of a similar size--Freedom of the Seas--which is smaller at 160,000 gross tons, but only carrying 3,634 passengers. 

The new Princess ships (2013) will come in at 141,000 tons and carry 3,600 passenger berths. Compare this to the line's Diamond Princess class of ships at 116,000 tons and a passenger capacity of 2,670.

What Does This Mean to You?

2009 was the first year in recent history when no new ships designs were ordered by major cruise lines. They already had too much new capacity coming online and were preoccupied with figuring out where to deploy and how to price these ships.

During the last two years, we have even seen a few bursting price bubbles when the cruise lines put too many ships in a specific region that subsequently suffered from lower-than-expected demand.

In 2009, for instance, cruises to Mexico were incredible bargains. There were twice as many staterooms in that market as there are now, but demand for those cruises evaporated almost overnight.

 In 2010, Alaska cruises were also going for deep discounts. This summer, in an effort to reduce their exposure to Alaska, more cruise lines positioned ships in the Mediterranean Sea, but now that region is suffering from overcapacity and reduced demand.

Many cruise lines are banking on Australia for 2012 and 2013, drawn by the strong currency (just as they were drawn to Europe for the stronger euro in 2010). But the number of ships going to Australia could easily outstrip demand, and 2013 could be the best time yet to cruise in Australia.

While the cruise lines will inevitably market the forthcoming cruise ships most ardently, in fact the “greatest generation” of ships is already here. For decades, the rule of ship selection had been “newer is better,” but with this coming generation of new cruise ships starting in 2012 and 2013, that will no longer be true. The best ships will still be those of the 2008 – 2011 vintage – and they could become relative bargains.


Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/06/24/next-generation-cruise-ships-might-not-be-best/#ixzz1QPYsRqy9

My Virgin America Experience LAX to FLL for as low as $109 each way!

This is where I spent my day today.  A very pleasant experience in the air, I must say.

Everything moved fairly seamlessly including boarding and disembarking.   I enjoyed the lighting and the ambiance of the cabin.  It felt very contemporary and modern not like an economy motel like so many of the planes feel like these days.  The seats were comfy with noticeable extra leg room and it felt a little bit wider than my most recent flight on Continental.



I love the in the seat entertainment plus helpful and fun assistant built into the

seat-backs.  You could order from a selection of imaginative and healthy menu items, top shelf and trendy cocktails, headphones, ask your cabin steward for water or a coke, (free), even donate to a couple of charities if it strikes your fancy!  See the Google map on the left?  Hit the navigation menu and track your flight live!  There are games for the kids as well and if you are traveling with others in different seats you can IM them and chat from your seat with you buddy or a stranger a few rows up.  Could be fun if you are flying with a group!

The nice thing about being able to just click water on the touch screen is that you don't have to reach up over the person sitting next to you that you don't know or feel like climbing on top of to reach the dingy button that rings and annoys everyone and 45 min later the perturbed attendant asks you what the heck you want while they reach over the aisle person and now EVERY one is annoyed and your feel like a schmuck.. Geez, all you wanted was some water!  On Virgin you just discretely push the touch button while watching your movie and a cute, nice man happily appears with your water, fresh fruit with cheese, whatever you need!  Voila !!!

AND, they only block the aisle with a cart once during the entire non-stop flight.

Google is offering free Wi-Fi for the holidays and it is fun to connect while in the sky....There are plugs in the seats as well as the fancy remotes you see above.

So, my flight was excellent.  Jumped into a white town car with Natalie from JLT Tours in FT Lauderdale.  I am meeting her and trying her service out to see if she is someone I will recommend to you.  The plan is she is picking me up from the ship to take me to Miami on the end of the trip so I will fill you in later.  I will organize all recommendations with links and phone #'s etc later for you all.  So far, Natalie is great!  ***** stars!

Pre-cruise I am staying at the Embassy Suites, FLL across from the port so that I can see the beautiful Oasis of the Seas when I wake up from my room...

I will most likely be Tweeting as I go along tomorrow so even if you don't officially *TWEET*   you can easily follow me that way.  Just create an account with Twitter  and add me as your friend  or in twitter language *follow me*   @RealCruises      That's it.

See you from the Ship tomorrow!

From Adam Goldstein, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean's Blog

From Oasis’ Inaugural Events to Answering the Question, “How Do You Do This?”

Yes I am still alive. This blog is good for a lot of things including creating profound feelings of guilt for not keeping up with the entries in the midst of the maelstrom.
It is Tuesday, November 24th. A big day. All the days have been big and we have completed three successful inaugural events for media, distributors, suppliers, industry partners, financial analysts, bankers, architect/designers, etc. Rihanna, Good Morning America, USAToday, ABC World News Tonight, Entertainment Tonight and so on. But today we have a confluence of two remarkable groups.
One group is the cream of the crop of U.S. travel agents. They are here for our three night Thanksgiving inaugural cruise. Even for a ship as compelling as Oasis of the Seas we didn’t expect they would leave their family Thanksgiving celebrations. So we offered them 5 staterooms apiece to transplant their family Thanksgiving celebrations to the ship. A few minutes ago I said hello to two of these family groups. What a beautiful thing.
The second group is a phenomenal array of the premier media, travel agents and tour operators from around the world. I just came up the elevator with several people from Indonesia and several people from Guatemala. Another beautiful thing.

I find it is very difficult to get tired of hearing compliments about the ship. And when I say compliments, I mean people literally visibly struggling with how to find words that express how much they think of Oasis of the Seas, the incredible crew that served them and how privileged they feel to have been onboard.
Many people ask me how I do this. Possibly they haven’t considered the cumulative impact of receiving hundreds or thousands of compliments, which obviously has nutritional value because otherwise I’m not finding enough time to eat. As long as I can work out every day in the gym or on the amazing 670 meter long jogging track I’m fine. I’m struggling with my backhand in table tennis but that doesn’t induce any sympathy since I have been winning over 90% of my Presidential Table Tennis matches.
The answer to how I do this is – it’s completely awesome. I enjoy seeing everybody from every part of the business. Richard and I just gave a ship tour to two U.S. Congressmen. In a little while I’m giving a tour to the Chairman & CEO of the Coca-Cola Company. I am painfully aware that my email in-box is breeding emails like rabbits. I haven’t had time to look at a draft of my speech for Monday’s naming event. Marta is asking me about meetings when I come back on December 1st and I actually would prefer to come back on January 4th since I haven’t had a proper vacation this whole year. But let’s face it – who would not like to be in a senior position of a fabulous brand that is introducing the most exciting vessel in 10,000+ years of maritime history [that last bit might qualify as hyperbolic but let’s see who challenges it]?
Not to mention that the Eagles finally won a close game for the first time since I was a child.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Even the lifeboats are giant on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas

Here is a link to the full story on the lifeboats.  They each carry an unprecedented 370 passengers and there are 18 of them for a capacity of 6660.  That takes care of the passenger load.  They must have something else in mind for the crew but I am sure they are covered as well.

Announcing the 7 Godmothers of the Oasis of the Seas

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL APPOINTS SEVEN
GODMOTHERS FOR OASIS OF THE SEAS
An Unprecedented Assembly of Performers, Olympians, Philanthropists and Actors to Preside Over
Seven Neighborhoods on the World’s Largest and Most Revolutionary Cruise Ship
MIAMI, Nov. 18, 2009 – When Royal Caribbean International officially names its newest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, on Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, the global cruise line will continue its tradition of innovation by putting a new twist on one of maritime’s longest standing traditions. While normally bestowing the honor of godmother on one special person, Royal Caribbean has chosen seven extraordinary godmothers to represent the seven signature neighborhoods onboard Oasis of the Seas. Each of the seven godmothers was chosen because they personify strength of character, exemplify the spirit of giving, and are role models for men, women and children alike. The godmothers include:
•
Gloria Estefan, world-renowned singer, songwriter, actor and author, who was godmother of Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas
•
Michelle Kwan, the Olympic Games medalist is an all-time great and the most decorated figure skater in United States history, and is also an American Public Diplomacy envoy promoting education, positive health practices and respect for diversity
•
Jane Seymore, a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor, as well as an Officer of the British Empire, who remains actively involved in the J and J Foundation benefiting children in need. Based on her philosophy that keeping an open heart despite adversity can bring a wealth of love, hope and inspiration into life, she founded the website www.KeepAnOpenHeart.com, a community where people can share stories and engage in a dialogue about living with an open heart.
•
Dara Torres, twelve-time Olympic medalist and oldest female swimmer to compete in a record five Olympic games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008)
•
Keshia Knight Pulliam, film and television actress is well-known for her role as Rudy Huxtable on the classic sitcom "The Cosby Show." The youngest actress ever nominated for an Emmy Award when she was only 6 years old, she presently stars on the TBS television comedy "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" and was most recently seen starring in the hit motion picture "Madea Goes To Jail."
•
Shawn Johnson, four-time medalist at the 2008 Olympic games for women’s gymnastics and cancer philanthropist, who in addition to serving as a godmother for Oasis of the Seas, will be granting wishes onboard as part of her work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
•
Daisy Fuentes, international television personality and producer, beauty and fitness expert, and recognized role model for Latin-American women in the United States, who is committed to improving children’s health and treatments through St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Starlight Children’s Foundation and the March of Dimes

Live from Cruise Critic - Oasis of the Seas 11/20/09

Watch live streaming video from cruisecritic at livestream.com

Hmmmm How many????

Wondering how many people fit in one lifeboat?  Something I will have to find out!

Any other questions?  I have a few coming in that I will post before I go.

Follow Nancy as she explores the Oasis of the Seas!

Royal Caribbean fans are counting down the hours until Friday morning, when they'll get their first detailed glimpse of the interior of the line's much-ballyhooed Oasis of the Seas in a special two-hour broadcast of ABC's Good Morning America.Tune in tomorrow, Friday between 7am-9am as America watches the unveiling of the Largest Cruise Ship afloat. At 220,000 Gross Tons she is a biggie. So Turn on those TV's or DVR's and take a peak with us.

Then log onto your favorite web places to follow Nancy and her friend and fellow travel agent, Belinda as they board her on Nov. 30th for the MAKE A WISH Christening Event.

Exclusive events during this voyage include the official christening and naming ceremony, as well as a dinner in the main dining room hosted by the godmother of the ship. (An honor traditionally reserved for heads of state, politicians and celebrities, godmothers officially give ships their names and serve as guiding spirits.)

Nancy and Belinda will be staying onboard with 5,400 passengers to sail on the inaugural 4 night Labadee Extravaganza Inaugural Sailing where after getting all gussied up for the gala make a wish event will get crazy and explore every nook and cranny of the ship and have a marvelous time!

Go to any of the following to tag along.
Twitter @RealCruises
FaceBook Fan Page (search RealCruises)
The Blog www.realcruises.blogspot.com

I will be doing most of this on the go from my Blackberry including photo's so stay tuned.

So, Cruise Fans, let's get things started. Is there something you want to know about Oasis of the Seas' entertainment offerings, eateries, cabins or other features? Leave your questions for Nancy at any of the above or e-mail me at RealCruises@gmail.com and I will answer questions Live from the ship.

So, Let's Get Out There!