Celebrity Cruises Names Direct Line Cruises Elite Travel Partner

We are very proud to announce that Direct Line Cruises was named one of Celebrity Cruises Elite Travel Partners. When our business started in 1995, Celebrity Cruises was the first cruise line we developed a strong working relationship with and we are delighted that 13 years later our relationship has only continued to grow. Thank you to everyone at Celebrity Cruises for acknowledging our agency.

In case you missed our e-mail blast, Celebrity Cruises is running a 2-Day Sale today and tomorrow only. Book select Celebrity sailings and receive up to $200.00 in Onboard Credits. Click Here for a list of sailings.

Norwegian Cruise Line F3 Nightife Comes Alive

It seems like month after month, the travel agent community and cruise enthusiasts are being treated to big reveals onboard competing cruise line new ships. On the same day that Royal Caribbean revealed new secrets about the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line announced new public rooms / night clubs onboard their upcoming F3 class cruise ships.

In case you have not been reading my blog postings, NCL has on order two F3 class cruise ships. The first is set to begin sailing in 2010. These ships will be approximately 150,000 tons and offer 4,200 passenger berths. NCL’s first big reveal about these ships were the revolutionary staterooms. For more information on the staterooms onboard the F3 class, please search older blog postings.

Now to the fun stuff. Norwegian Cruise Line’s current reveal seemed to focus heavily on spicing up the onboard nightlife. In addition to the Ultra Bliss Lounge with a Bowling Alley that is featured on the Gem and Pearl, the F3 ships will now have 4 new clubs. Here are the details:

Ice Bar – This bar is literally frozen and I am not kidding. The Ice bar will accommodate 25 cruise passengers and they will all be given fur coats and gloves to keep them warm since the club’s temperature never rises above 17 degrees Fahrenheit. The atmosphere of this club will feature of frozen chamber of iced vodka that is set in a mood of illuminating hues of lights. Sounds Chilling…. To enter this exclusive club, guests must pay a cover charge.

Posh Beach Club – This club is to be used by Adults only and they are required to purchase a POSH pass to enter the exclusive glass elevator that takes them to this outdoor South Beach and Riviera style club. In the daytime, guests can lounge out and soak up the sun as they are completely pampered by the POSH VIP host and crew. Once the sun sets, this is where the action starts and the non-stop party begins within this open air nightclub.

Halo the Uber Bar – There is nothing more exclusive than the Halo bar. Guests staying in the Garden and Courtyard villas will have exclusive VIP passes to enter this club located at the top of the ship on deck 16. This bar features the best liquors, art and jewelry around the world. In addition, private gaming tables will be setup, which will include baccarat and blackjack. This is also an Adult only night club.
Spice H20 - This I found quite shocking. Right after I learned about the Oasis of the Seas new aft pool, I read about NCL’s F3 aft pools. Spice H20 is a giant pool located towards the back of the ship that can be used by all guests during the day to help them soak up the sun. At night, Spice H20 transforms itself into an outdoor amphitheatre featuring DJ’s, live music, entertainers, lights and more.
And, again don’t forget the F3 class ships will also feature the very popular Ultra Bliss Lounge, which features a 4 lane bowling alley. Norwegian Cruise Line has advised that passengers may purchase a “Beyond the Velvet Rope” package to gain access to all of these exclusive clubs.

Oasis of the Seas Cruise New Features and Neigborhoods Revealed Today

It is official! Royal Caribbean Cruise Line truly creates the most innovative cruise ships in the industry. As I mentioned in my previous blog posting, I was invited to New York City today to witness the next unveiling onboard the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. The first unveiling happened approximately a month ago when Royal Caribbean introduced the Central Park neighborhood. This alone blew me away. Today Royal Caribbean advised us that there are a total of seven distinct neighborhoods onboard the Oasis of the Seas with Central Park being one of them.

I will cut right to the chase and get to the good stuff. The unveiling started at 12:30 PM and we were greeted with an amazing 3D rendering video. This video showed new neighborhoods and features that I could not believe were on a cruise ship. The first new neighborhood is simply called the “Boardwalk”. The boardwalk reminded one of my colleagues of Coney Island. The boardwalk is truly a place for the family to enjoy with a Carousel, Johnny Rockets, Seafood shack, coffee and donut shop, bars, candy stores, ice cream parlor, psychic, tattoo parlor and much more. Okay, so what is the biggest attraction within the Boardwalk? There is no debate. The AquaTheatre is located right near the end of the Boardwalk and at the aft of the ship. The AquaTheatre is a giant pool by day and a theatre by night. Seating is available for over 600 cruise passengers and they will have the opportunity to enjoy concerts, light and water shows and even water acrobats. Personally, this seemed like the greatest idea. While I always loved the stage shows onboard cruise ships, I often felt that I wanted to be outside at night enjoying the warm air. Now, I can get the best of both worlds. I can enjoy an amazing variety of shows while lounging out in the AquaTheatre.

Many travel agents questioned after the first unveiling of Central Park, what would happen to the Royal Promenade that has become so popular on the Voyager and Freedom class. Well, no need to worry. The Royal Promenade is here and is bigger and better than you could ever imagine. The Royal Promenade lies directly below Central Park and the Boardwalk. Guests can get to the Royal Promenade and Central park via the Rising Tide Bar. In case you didn’t know, the Rising Tide bar elevates 3 decks throughout the ship as passengers enjoy a cocktail and take in the sights. Okay, back to the Royal Promenade. This Royal Promenade is the heart of the ship, but it is significantly larger than the Royal Promenades of the past. For starters, the Oasis of the Seas Royal Promenade has a mezzanine level that overlooks the space below. The Royal Promenade features Sorrento’s Pizza, Coffee Bar, Café Promenade, Globe and Atlas Pub, Schooner Bar, Boleros Latin Bar, Champagne Bar and much more.

Well, I am running out of time before I retire for the day, but I will divulge one last piece of information I learned today. The Zip Line! That’s right; a Zip Line. Guests who are brave enough can now soar through the sky as they are suspended nine decks above the Boardwalk. Guests will race across the open air atrium and enjoy one of the best rides ever at sea. Oh, one more thing. This ship features not one, but two Rock Climbing walls.

There is just too much to talk about, so tomorrow I will discuss the staterooms onboard, provide detailed specifications and onboard amenities, itinerary details and also provide more photos. FYI – There are still 4 more secret neighborhoods and an abundance of other features that Royal Caribbean has not revealed yet. These updates should come on a monthly basis.

For an in depth overview of the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, please make sure to visit our exclusive website at http://www.royalcaribbeanoasisoftheseas.com/.

Oasis of the Seas & Allure of the Seas - Next Big Announcement Coming Soon!

Heads Up! Royal Caribbean will be announcing this Wednesday the next big features and neighborhoods onboard the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. This announcement will take place in New York City to a select few in the travel agency community. Luckily, I am one of the lucky guests that will be the first to learn this exciting information. Please make sure to re-visit this blog late Wednesday for updated information or visit our new exclusive websites for these two incredible Royal Caribbean ships. Here are the links:

http://www.royalcaribbeanoasisoftheseas.com/

and

http://www.royalcaribbeanallureoftheseas.com/

Stay Tuned!