Hot Charter Products and Dates:
Le Levant (90 passenger yacht) is available for a May 2-9, 2008 - Nice to Palermo (Sicily) charter. This is the ONLY charter space left for this ship in 2008. Cost is approx $3,000 per person, plus gratuities. Port charges included. Add on about $40 pp/day for full open bar. This is a very elegant yacht with 45 identical outside cabins. Fine French service and cuisine are five star. Le Levant offers open-seating dining with a main restaurant that will accommodate all of your guests at one time. With the euro at incredibly high levels, you simply cannot beat this deal in the Med. Here is a sample itinerary:
Nice - Genoa - Portoferraio (Elba) - Civitavecchia (Rome) - Ponza - Salerno - Lipari - Palermo
We can absolutely alter this itin to suit your needs provided the ship begins in Nice and ends in Palermo.
This opportunity will not last long, so please let me know if you have a client who would be interested. This is a terrific ship at a great price!
Star Clipper's 170-passenger sailing ship, the Star Flyer, is available for a five-night Tahiti charter October 7-12, 2008. Take a look at this fantastic itinerary:
Oct. 7, 2008 Papeete
Oct. 8, 2008 Huahine
Oct. 9, 2008 Bora Bora
Oct. 10, 2008 Raiatea
Oct. 11, 2008 Moorea
Oct. 11, 2008 Papeete
Oct. 12, 2008 Papeete
This is a fabulous way to see Tahiti at an incredibly reasonable rate. Ask us for details.
Upcoming Trade Shows and Events:
If you are a DSA company and attending the DSA show in San Diego next month, please come and see us at booth 321.
If you are an FICP member and attending the summer Forum in Dana Point next month, please visit with Shari Wallack.
If you are a Canadian planner, put our Annual Event on your calendar. August 21st from 6:00-8:00 pm at Brassaii on King Street West. Last year we had over 100 in attendance. Please join us for lots of fun, food, drinks and networking.
We will be exhibiting at the ITME show in the Cruise Section as always.
We will be attending FICP in Scottsdale, Arizona in November.
Familiarization Trips:
Buy The Sea runs several product orientation trips throughout the year. The intention is to expose our clients to new ships, hotels and destinations for future incentive movements. We are delighted to be running the following upcoming events:
Caribbean Princess - July 29-August 5, 2007 r/t Fort Lauderdale in balcony cabins.Grand Velas - November 15-18, 2007 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in oceanview suites.
Carnival Liberty - December 2-8, 2007 r/t Fort Lauderdale in balcony cabins.
Celebrity Century - January 7-12, 2008 r/t Miami in balcony cabins.
R/T air is not included. Port charges, taxes and gratuities will be charged on all cruise ship fams. You may always bring a guest at the same rates.
In addition to these trips, we also get cabins for our clients on new ship inaugurals and we encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise.
Please let us know if any of the above are of interest to you, based upon your potential usage for an upcoming program. These trips have limited capacity and do fill up quickly. Please only respond if you are sure you can attend and secure air. We will get back to you with confirmations shortly.
News from Regent Seven Seas:
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is introducing an entirely new entertainment programming concept for three of our ships: Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator. The new entertainment program will debut aboard Seven Seas Navigator's in late May 2007 and features a nine-piece orchestra, an emphasis on live musical performances and five new productions with "The Regent Singers and Dancers." The new entertainment programming on the Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager will follow later this year.
Read about the Onboard Enhanced Entertainment
News from Holland America:
To be delivered in summer 2008, the new Eurodam marks Holland America Line's next class of vessels and at 2044 passengers the largest ever constructed for the premium line. With an estimated all-in cost of $450 million, the new 86,000-ton Panamax Eurodam will be built at Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard.
The Eurodam will further the evolution of Holland America Line's sophisticated mid-sized ships. With 11 passenger decks, new innovations include a topside 144-seat Pan-Asian restaurant and 50-seat lounge surrounded by panoramic views overlooking the ocean expanse and the Lido pool. Other additions are an Explorer's Lounge Bar, a new specialty restaurant adjacent to the Lido offering the finest in Italian food, elegant luxury jewelry boutiques, new atrium bar area, enhanced and reconfigured show lounge with theater-style seating, and a new photographic and imaging center.
The line's renowned Explorations Café, powered by The New York Times will be located on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest, providing a scenic backdrop for guests wishing to enjoy specialty coffees, surf the internet and take advantage of the café's music listening stations. With an additional deck, the Eurodam will have 63 new staterooms more than the latest Vista-class ship. Forty-seven will be verandah staterooms and ten will be a new style of stateroom with ceiling-to-floor and wall-to-wall panoramic windows. In total, the Eurodam will carry 1,022 staterooms, with 86 percent outside staterooms, 67 percent with verandahs.
Staterooms will continue to provide all the Signature of Excellence premium amenities: plush Euro-top Mariner's Dream beds, deluxe waffle/terry cloth robes, Egyptian cotton towels, flat panel TVs, DVD players, make-up mirrors with halo lighting, massage shower heads, professional grade hair dryers, fresh flowers and complimentary fruit baskets.
The Eurodam will continue several much-admired Holland America Line features, including outside-view, glass elevators at midship; the Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar; the innovative Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine, where culinary experts provide cooking demonstrations and intimate classes in state-of-the-art onboard show kitchens; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with thermal suites and hydro-pool, the largest gymnasium ever built for Holland America Line; and a youth facility that includes the teens-only Loft.
On the technical side, the Eurodam will feature the latest state-of-the-art navigation and safety systems including dynamic positioning abilities to hold the ship in a precise position. The vessel will be powered by six diesel generators and propelled by the latest Azipod propulsion technology.
News from Royal Caribbean International:
The 3,600-passenger Liberty of the Seas has arrived and she is stunning! If you cannot have a good time on this ship or her sister, the Freedom of the Seas, then you won't have fun anywhere. The entertainment is astounding, from the ice shows to the production shows to the lounge acts - Royal Caribbean has created a menu of the most innovative and exciting programs afloat. There is literally something for everyone in every age bracket. The food on RCCL has much improved in the past few years and dinners in the main dining room were excellent! The snacks offered along the Royal Promenade throughout the day and well into the night are terrific if you don't want to spend a great deal of time dining, and prefer to make the most out of the ship's activities. If you need comfort food, visit Johnny Rockets, where you can enjoy a burger, a shake and frequent dance performances by the wait staff. Or just go to Ben and Jerry's and remind yourself why this Vermont duo is one of the best in the world of ice cream! RCCL has added so many new ways to have fun onboard. One night, they turn the solarium into TWENTY, a disco under the stars. Another night, they put a parquet floor over the ice and turn Studio B into Studio 84, creating an 80's dance party. Every day there is a parade of some sort down the Royal Promenade. One day it's a Pirate theme. Another it's music from the 70's, complete with a 70's street party immediately following. Go to "On Air" and enjoy the only karaoke lounge at sea or use one of the private karaoke booths if you are too shy to sing in public. Don't forget the rock climbing wall, the boxing ring or FlowRider, the only surfing simulator at sea. If you have to get down to business - make use of the elaborate conference center - complete with complimentary audio visual equipment and coffee breaks (small set up fee applies). The entire ship is wireless, so come with your laptop, cell phone or blackberry. RCCL has everything you need for a successful meeting or incentive program. Just add your guests!News from Carnival:
Carnival Cruise Lines will pump a total of $250 million into its Fantasy-class ships to upgrade and remodel the fleet of eight vessels. Five of the vessels will have been re-done by the end of this year, with the remaining three to be completed in 2008 and 2009. The fleet is getting expanded outdoor recreation areas with children's water parks with new designs and features in the pool areas. There will be a new adults-only deck as well. All spas are being made over, new sound and lighting systems will be installed in the theaters, and public areas will have wireless internet capabilities. Staterooms will be remodeled with new bathrooms, bedding and televisions. Public areas will get new bars, lounges, restaurants, art and photo galleries. Most of these ships are used for three, four and five night cruises. They are terrific for first-time cruises and clients with tight budgets.
Carnival now has four and five night cruises year round from San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas aboard the Elation. Beginning in the fall of 2007, the newly refurbished Imagination will be sailing r/t Miami to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay (private island) and Nassau on four and five night itineraries. There is a special ONE TIME ONLY four-night cruise on the Brand New Carnival Splendour - November 17, 2008. Sail from Miami to Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. Don't miss this great opportunity!
News from Canodros (Galapagos Explorer):
Have you exhausted just about every incentive destination? Are you looking for something completely different and out-of-the-box? Keep this 100-passenger (all-suite) ship in mind. There is nothing like the Galapagos when it comes to eco-tourism and there is no ship like the Galapagos Explorer. Sail for three or four nights and charter the ship for an exclusive program.
The ship will be going into dry dock in September of this year. The 12 Deluxe Suites are getting brand new balconies, giving 16 of the 50 suites (total onboard) verandas. Additionally, the piano bar, naturalist room and game room will be opened up to create one large living space. This will be a terrific venue for functions and gatherings. Beginning this year, wet suits will now be available onboard at a small charge.
The Galapagos Explorer has a higher space to passenger ratio that any other ship sailing this region. She is also the only all-suite ship in the market.
