Cruises
MSC cruises sail the world. Photo from MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises has announced new “Boomer Plus” rates for passengers 50 and older at the time of sailing. That applies to almost all baby boomers (now aged 49-67) except for some born in 1964, the tail end of the baby boom.
The Boomer Plus rates include “special reduced pricing” — the line is advertising seven-night or longer Caribbean cruises starting at $779 per passenger based on double occupancy — as well as reduced deposits ($100 per person).
The discounts can be combined with MSC Club (past passenger) discounts as well as with military and civil service discounts that MSC offers (which may be up to 10 percent off).
Boomer rates are also available on MSC’s Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Grand Voyage cruises.
You need to ask for “Boomer Plus” rates when you call (1-800-666-9333).
Keep in mind that, like many special… Continue reading
A tantalizing dish from Celebrity Cruises. Photo from Celebrity Cruises
No one — or almost no one — goes on a cruise expecting to lose weight. (A few specialty cruises do prepare diet or vegan meals intended to at least not add weight).
My friend Ed, a baby boomer who has struggled with a weight problem for years, has recently dropped 32 pounds through a strict diet averaging 1,300 calories a day supplemented by a vigorous walking routine. When I saw him a couple of months ago, I was impressed by his new look and his discipline at the dinner table.
He and his wife just got back from a Celebrity cruise in the Mediterranean that sorely tested his resolve, however. So I asked him how the diet went onboard, and here was his reply:
“The most difficult aspect of the trip for me was staying true to my year-old… Continue reading
American Cruise Lines’ Queen of the Mississippi. Photo from American Cruise Lines
I’ve written several times previously about the hot European river cruising market (most recently here).
But the U.S. river cruising market is getting torrid as well, thanks in large part to American Cruise Lines, a family-owned company whose six small ships cruise rivers and waterways throughout America. Nearly three dozen itineraries range from the islands of New England to Alaska’s Inside Passage, the Intracoastal Waterway of the southeastern U.S. to the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest, and many points between — including the mighty Mississippi.
Late last week I attended a luncheon in New York City with American Cruise Line executives aboard one of their ships, the Independence, a three-year-old vessel that holds a maximum of 104 passengers.
The Independence was temporarily docked at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan after completing… Continue reading
Scenic Cruises delivers just that and more.
Sure, most European river cruises are scenic. But I know of only one company bold enough to capitalize the “S” and “C” and call itself, simply, Scenic Cruises.
That takes confidence, but Scenic Cruises has staked a claim to those capital letters.
How? By setting the pace for innovations in European river cruising — from more spacious viewing areas to all-inclusive pricing to exclusive and stimulating land excursions — this Australian-owned company has helped make river cruising one of the hottest segments of the cruise industry, attracting baby boomers and younger travelers alike.
No wonder: slowly wending your way down some of the world’s most romantic, historic rivers offers a relaxed, intimate perspective on Europe like no other. And unlike sea cruises, you’re always close to land and won’t get seasick.
While there are plenty of reasons to take a European river… Continue reading
One of my favorite online discount cruise travel agencies is Vacations to Go, which always lists hundreds of heavily discounted upcoming cruises from dozens of cruise lines around the world, including both ocean and river cruises.
In one section of the site, Vacations to Go lists special discounts on certain sailings that are only good for passengers aged 55 and over on the day of departure. Just one passenger in each cabin needs to be 55 or over.
When you call a Vacations to Go counselor to book your cruise, be sure to mention your age. The cruise line will require proof of it before giving the discount.
The number to call there is 800-338-4962, but I would advise looking at the website first to see what’s available for your preferred destination, dates, and cruise line(s).
Carnival offers aged 55+ discounts as well. Photo from Carnival Cruise Lines.
Note… Continue reading
Ready to cruise? It’s National Cruise Vacation Week!
We can’t let National Cruise Vacation Week (October 20-27) pass by without acknowledging some special cruise line deals now being offered by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) cruise agents. (You can find CLIA agents by going here.)
CLIA agents are offering deals from a couple of dozen cruise lines — featuring both ocean and river cruises — that you can still take advantage of this weekend (unless otherwise noted). Check out the deals here.
Complimentary shore tours, onboard credits, discounts, upgrades and reduced deposits are all part of the mix.
CLIA is an example of a top-flight marketing organization that represents dozens of cruise lines and thousands of travel agencies, but also provides helpful information to consumers who want to get the best deals and the best experiences out of their cruises. You can access this information at… Continue reading
In previous posts on the Maine windjammers Nathaniel Bowditch (go here) and Isaac H. Evans (go here), I talked about the experiences of sailing aboard these historic vessels.
The Great Schooner Race of Maine windjammers, held each summer. Photo by Meg Maiden
Now I’d like to put the spotlight on the Maine Windjammer Association, which represents ten traditional Maine tall ships, seven of which are National Historic Landmarks. Collectively, it’s the country’s largest fleet of historic, passenger-carrying vessels.
Besides the Bowditch and the Evans, they include the American Eagle, the Angelique, the Heritage, the Lewis R. French, the Mary Day, the Stephen Taber, the Timberwind, and the Victory Chimes.
While all of the vessels are privately owned, the Association promotes and markets the windjammers as a group, producing significant savings in advertising budgets for each ship.
All… Continue reading
The Nathaniel Bowditch at anchor. Photo by Clark Norton
There’s something about being out on an historic Maine windjammer on quiet Penobscot Bay on a beautiful fall day to help you forget all the stuff that’s going on elsewhere in the country and the world.
That’s where my wife, Catharine, and I were the last weekend of September: aboard the two-masted, gaff-rigged topsail schooner Nathaniel Bowditch, in the company of nine other passengers and five crew members, including Captain Owen Dorr, who along with his wife, Cathie, has owned the ship for ten years.
First built as a private racing ship in 1922, the Bowditch later saw action as a coastal patrol boat in World War II, and subsequently served as a fishing vessel before finally being outfitted as a passenger ship.
It now holds up to 24 passengers, though with that many aboard the sleeping accommodations and eating… Continue reading
The Carnival Freedom will carry baby boomer singles to the eastern Caribbean in November 2013. Photo from Carnival.
Here’s a niche within a niche: a cruise not just for baby boomers, but for single baby boomers.
It makes sense, because while lots of cruises are filled with boomers, cruises — ever popular with couples, families and even groups of friends — can be difficult for single travelers.
Where does a single traveler sit at dinner? Where does a single traveler find a dance partner? Where does a single traveler find someone to just hang out with?
The problem may even be greater for travelers over 50.
To meet this need, Singles Cruise is sponsoring an eight-night “Baby Boomers Caribbean Adventure Singles Cruise” for singles born between 1946 and 1964, embarking November 16 from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, aboard the Carnival Freedom.
The eastern Caribbean cruise will call at the islands of… Continue reading
Starwood Hotels CEO Frits van Paasschen.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts CEO Frits van Paasschen, regarded as a visionary in the industry, has a fascinating take on what travelers will soon expect from their chosen lodgings (as recounted in this piece by Greg Oates in Skift.com).
“Today,” he recently told the hotel group’s annual sales pow wow in New Orleans, “a hotel brand can’t stand apart just by having a comfortable, reliable, clean room…that expectation today, driven by technology, is personalization.”
Van Paasschen gives the examples of Amazon.com and Facebook, who not only seem to know everything about their customers and users, they do know what their customers and users are looking for and like. (After all, we give them the information, and they know how to mine the data.)
“So how long will it be,” he asks, “before all of us expect a hotel brand where we spend… Continue reading
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