News from Buy The Sea for June '08
Please take a moment to read the exciting industry news this month. For those attending the DSA show in Phoenix, please look for us at booth 217! Additionally, we will be at the FICP summer forum in Orlando.
An awesome invitation for all FICP members:
Our friends at International Group Sales and the brand new Secrets Maroma Beach Rivera Cancun http://www.secretsresorts.com/maroma are extending an invitation to FICP members for two complimentary nights PRE OR POST FICP this November. If you and a guest would like to enjoy two all-inclusive (food, beverages and activities) nights “on the house” please let me know asap. A general invite will go out later this year and reservations will be taken on a first come/first served basis. Beat the crowds and let us know if you are able to join us! We can take confirmations NOW! What a terrific opportunity for our financial and insurance partners! (If you are not an FICP member, but interested in this property – please let us know.)
News from RCCL:
For those of you seeking new short cruise options…we have good news! The Radiance of the Seas will be doing a series of four and five night cruises r/t San Diego from end September through mid-November 2009 and then again in March and April 2010. Both cruises visit Cabo. The five-nighter makes a stop in Ensenda as well. This is a terrific value on a lovely ship!
News from Grand Melia Resorts:
Check out this website: http://www.granmeliapalaciodeisora.com/index.php.
Brand new resort opening July 2008 in the Canary Islands. Absolutely gorgeous and luxurious. Grand Melia is offering some dynamite pre-opening rates on par with USD. The resort has a total of 609 guest rooms and over 32,000 square feet of banquet space accommodating up to 940-pax for an event. Complete resort buy-outs are welcome! Looking for something out-of-the-box and finding traditional European destinations too expensive? This might be the solution you are looking for.
River ship news:
We had the pleasure of inspecting three lovely river ships in Europe this month. The Peter Deilmann Casanova (96 passengers) and Heidelberg (110 passengers) are absolutely charming and beautiful. The furnishings and décor are elegant – making these vessels striking European boutique hotels that happen to float. They are by far among the prettiest river ships in the market. The AMA Waterways Amalegro is a perfect charter vessel as well. With a capacity of 150 guests, the ship has four identical suites and 71 identical outside cabins. All beds convert into twins or queen. This product includes all tours (with individual headsets so that you can hear the guides) as well as wine with dinner. A terrific value! We are delighted to work with an array of river ship companies including Deilmann, AMA Waterways, Rivercloud, Viking and others. With the euro hurting our spending – why not book a river ship in US Dollars? Your accommodations, meals and tours can be taken care of in our currency before you ever cross the ocean! Sail the Danube, Elbe, Rhine, Moselle, Rhone. Cruise in the Amazon, China, Portugal and Russia on a river ship too! A terrific value – and a great way to have complete exclusivity for your incentive group.
News from Silversea:
Get this while it’s hot (and still available). We broadcast this last time, but it’s worth repeating!
Silver Cloud
147 Suites
Voyage 1913
Stockholm, Sweden (round trip)
20-25 June 2009 (5 nights)
$820,000.00 USD (net charter rate)
Silversea can customize the voyage but here is a popular itinerary option including one full night in St. Petersburg, Russia:
DAY |
PORT |
COUNTRY |
ARRIVE |
DEPART |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
STOCKHOLM |
SWEDEN |
|
18:00 |
2 |
TALLINN |
FINLAND |
10:00 |
17:00 |
3 |
ST PETERSBURG |
RUSSIA |
8:00 |
|
4 |
ST PETERSBURG |
RUSSIA |
|
18:00 |
5 |
HELSINKI |
FINLAND |
8:00 |
17:00 |
6 |
STOCKHOLM |
SWEDEN |
8:00 |
|
News on fuel surcharges:
Keep your eyes open for more fuel surcharges. Most cruise lines are now charging $8 per person/night. There is no end in sight as fuel prices continue to rise. If you have a question about a particular program or quote, please let us know. These surcharges are subject to change.
News from Regent Seven Seas:
If you would like to buy group space on a FIVE-NIGHT Navigator cruise, April 7-12, 2010 – let us know.
Currently available are 78 Cat C-D-F-G ROH verandahs, 21 Cat B and 17 Cat A and 2 Navigator Suites. The ship goes r/t FLL to a Bahamian private island, Grand Turk and Key West. Space will go quickly, so let us know if you are interested.
Regent has recently invested $20 million in refurbishing their fleet. Each ship offers wireless, fast Internet connectivity and cell phone service. They've upgraded and added bed linens, duvets, cashmere throws, and bathrobes from a lovely brand, Anichini. There are new towels and slippers, new Regent bathroom amenities, and new carpets in public areas.
On Mariner, they've reconfigured the library/computer area and added in a terrific coffee/bar/dining spot, Coffee Connection. Open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., it's a great place to have something light to eat or grab any one of a vast assortment of coffee items or a drink. It's a great meeting place, similar to Crystal's Bistro onboard the Symphony and Serenity.
Regent has also modified its entertainment program. All production shows include a live nine-piece orchestra on Mariner, Navigator, and Voyager. Having live music without recorded tracks really makes a difference.
As part of the rebranding last year, all Regent employees received training in the "Tao of Regent," which contains the guiding principles for its brand essence, values, and service philosophy. It really does show, with the crew doing an exceptional job of remembering guest names and preferences.
Cuisine News from Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Holland America and Princess:
Crystal has just added a Nobu restaurant onboard the Crystal Symphony. Now all Crystal guests can enjoy the best alternative dining at sea. Special dishes at Nobu's restaurant in Beverly Hills run in excess of $150 per person, so a meal costing nothing more than tip money is a phenomenal bargain.
Seabourn has gone more casual: expanding the outdoor dining section of the Veranda Café, with tables now featuring a dramatic new gull-wing awning; adding seating capacity at the Sky Bar, where the casual, alfresco Sky Grill dinners have been a big hit; and eliminating formal evenings on seven-day Caribbean cruises.
Meanwhile, Silversea has completed the launch of their Viking Cooking School program, featuring Viking-equipped culinary theaters and the Viking Cooking School run by Viking's guest chefs.
Holland America has jumped on the flexible dining bandwagon by offering an option of traditional pre-set seating or an open-seating arrangement. This has been implemented on most ships (Amsterdam and Prinsendam will start it later in May). HAL has continued its guest-chef program this year, opening its onboard kitchens to over 70 guest chefs (not as easy as it sounds; cooking in a shipboard galley is very different than what these chefs are used to). For demonstrations, HAL invested over $13 million per ship to create the Culinary Arts Center.
Also effective in January 2009, both the Star Princess and Caribbean Princess will have a Crown Grill instead of the Sterling Steakhouse. That fits in nicely with another Princess trend: adding popular features from the fleet's newest ships to existing ships. Hence, the remodeling on Star and Caribbean Princess will also include a transformation on the Deck Five part of the atrium into the Piazza Street Cafe found now on Emerald Princess and Crown Princess.
New Staff at Buy The Sea:
Please help us welcome Jaci Lantz to the team! Jaci joined us two months ago as Director of Operations. She will work hand in hand with Lina Flores to insure smooth programs for all of our clients. Her e-mail address is jaci@buy-the-sea.com. She is a terrific asset and we are thrilled to have her onboard!
We are delighted to report that we now have relationships with Edenh Hotels (luxury all-inclusives in Cancun and Punta Cana), El Conquistador, Atlantis and the surprisingly all-inclusive Crowne Plaza in Los Cabos. We never run out of new ideas for you and your clients. Let our sales team help you find something exciting!
Shari Wallack
shari@buy-the-sea.com
Caryn Rosenthal
caryn@buy-the-sea.com
Sandy Cohen
sandy@buy-the-sea.com
