Our Blog Has Moved

To Our Loyal Subscribers of Our Cruise Blog,

We have moved our cruise blog and will no longer be updating this blog URL & feed. Our new cruise blog is located at http://www.directlinecruises.com/cruiseblog. To subscribe to this new feed, please visit http://www.directlinecruises.com/cruiseblog/index.php/feed/.

We will be posting all new exciting cruise reviews, press releases and photos on this new blog. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber and we hope you subscribe to our new cruise blog!

Our Blog is Moving

To Our Loyal Cruise Blog Followers:

In an effort to deliver you the most up-to-date cruise information and provide you with cutting edge, interactive features, we are moving our blog page and feed.

Our new cruise blog page resides at: www.directlinecruises.com/cruiseblog
Our new cruise blog feed resides at: www.directlinecruises.com/cruiseblog/index.php/feed/

Please make sure to update your Blog feed subscription as we will no longer be updating this Blog.

Celebrity Cruises iLounge

Celebrity Cruises has announced a partnership with Apple to allow guests to use the latest MacBook Pros, iPods and other Apples applications while onboard their cruise vacation. This new concept is called the Celebrity iLounge.

The Celebrity iLounge will have a Apple Certified staff member assist guests in learning and using audio, video and web design applications. The Celebrity iLounge will be introduced on the Eclipse by April 26, Summit by May 16, on the Solstice by May 30. In addition, the iLounge will be featured on the Celebrity Silhouette when she enters service in 2011.

One Person's Tacky is Another Person's Treasure

As you wander through the countless shops and kiosks of a foreign city or national landmark have you ever wondered who actually buys those tasteless, useless knick-knacks and bric-a-brac? And more importantly, why? Souvenir shopping is an important part of many a traveler’s vacation. The word “souvenir” comes from the French, meaning memory, and bringing back something special from a vacations means bringing home the wonderful memories associated with it…regardless of how tacky it may be!

As I sit at my desk typing this I glance down at my Grand Teton Moose Pad and can almost smell the fragrant pine forests we hiked through, and see the rocky peaks of the Tetons towering above a tranquil Jenny Lake. Nearby sits the Golden Gate Bridge pencil sharpener that I picked up on a trip to California. It’s a memento of a morning spent biking across its 1.7 mile span in a spooky fog, then warming up with a bowl of clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf. My replica light house collection, though in its infancy stage, is a remembrance of the relaxing coastal vacations I have enjoyed. Leisurely hours spent laying on the beach with a good book and long barefoot walks searching for seashells. What can I say? One person’s tacky is another person’s treasure!

Do I really need a tawdry looking red, white and blue sequin T-shirt to remind me of the pride I felt as an American while visiting the monuments along the National Mall? Nah! Would I still recall my awe of the sunrise as I sat in the clouds, wrapped in a blanket 12,000 feet above the ocean near the summit of Haleakala, if I didn’t purchase the bobble-head hula girl? Of course I would! Could my mind conjure up the amazing architecture of Antoni Gaudi that I admired when I strolled the streets of Barcelona if I didn’t purchase the Sagrada Familia napkin holder? Without a doubt! But I buy them anyway! I have purchased monkey head cup holders from vendors in lush, hot Caribbean islands and snow globes from exotic countries that haven’t seen frozen precipitation since the Ice Age. All of these keepsakes, regardless of how corny, are reminders of special times spent in extraordinary places with my family.

Whether it be the obligatory T-shirt to the ubiquitous fridge magnets, key rings, miniature sized monuments, or shot glasses, we've all succumbed to buying a tacky souvenir or two. Don’t deny it! The vast amount of vendors out there pedaling such wares tells me I’m not the only one purchasing them! But whether you admit to sharing my passion for kitschy souvenirs or not, I wish you a future of happy travels, and warm memories of vacations past.

Last Minute Deals on Oasis of the Seas

Direct Line Cruises is now offering up to $200 in FREE onboard credits on last minute May sailings onboard the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. Rates start from $899 per person. To check availability, CLICK HERE.

Celebrity Cruises Newest Ship (Silhouette) will sail from NJ

Celebrity Cruises announced today that their newest ship, the Silhouette will offer 12-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises round-trip from Cape Liberty, NJ from November 2011 through April 2012.

The Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth ship among the highly praised Solstice class fleet. The Silhouette will enter service in July 2011 and do a series of Mediterranean cruises and then reposition to Bayonne, New Jersey.

Direct Line Cruises is now offering a early booking promotion for the Silhouette. Book NOW and receive up to $200 in FREE onboard credits. CLICK HERE for details regarding this promotion.

Qsine

Sushi Lollipops, Chitinis, Crunchy Munchies…what are we talking about here? Would you believe that they’re items off the menu of “Qsine”, the restaurant brainchild of Jacques Van Staden, Vice President of Culinary Operations at Celebrity Cruise Line? “Qsine” will make its exciting debut on the Celebrity Eclipse, which is scheduled to set sail this month.

The menu at "Qsine" consists of familiar dishes and comfort food artfully and whimsically presented. So unusual is the presentation that Van Staden worked with manufacturers for several years in designing the serving dishes and stands he would use. So lets backtrack to those sushi lollipops. They’re created with soy sauce centers, and wasabi served not in the traditional ball, but as a mousse. Pickled ginger pops up in a radish salad, rather than as a condiment on the side. Chitinis are Chinese savories served in a martini glass and crunchy munchies are an assortment French fries, potato croquets, sweet potato fries etc. served in paper cones along with complimentary condiments. Painter’s mignon is filet mignon served on a painter’s palette with a variety of sauces representing the paints. And if you order the Black Angus tacos, (rectangular in shape), they’re accompanied with a mortar, pestle and the ingredients to make your own guacamole! I could go on and on, but better to leave you with some element of surprise when you visit the restaurant yourself!

Expect the unexpected at "Qsine". The menu is presented with disregard to the typical course offerings of appetizers, entrees and desserts. Instead it reads like a continuous script and the selections are prepared and intended for sharing. And speaking of the actual menu, that’s not conventional either. The main menu will be a large, backlit square filled with phrases designed to engage guests in the "Qsine" experience. The dessert menu is in the form of a “magic cube” that needs to be unfolded to reveal the offerings (but don’t worry, you can request a printed menu if this seems too intricate). Choosing wine is a totally interactive experience in which you are handed a modified Apple iPod Touch that allows you to view pairing options, watch related videos, test your knowledge against their wine quiz, and of course, order your wine!
Quirky, playful, unpredictable…out of the sea of sameness emerges "Qsine". It will be open nightly on the Celebrity Eclipse from 6pm to 11pm. There is no age restriction and the cover charge is $30pp. I recommend reservations, as this will probably be a “not to be missed” dining hot spot!