We've negotiated the following money-saving offers with
Carnival,
Holland America, Regent, Viking, Windstar and Paul Gauguin Cruises.
They include free shipboard credits, which can be used toward onboard
purchases not covered in the cruise fare, such as shore excursions and
boutique purchases.
Carnival has slashed rates by up to 82% for our customers across
the fleet. Also receive shipboard credits of up to $50 per cabin on a
variety of sailings in 2018.
Book by June 30.
See dates and prices.
Holland America is offering our customers huge discounts -- save
up to 82% -- as well as exclusive shipboard credits of up to $250 per
cabin on an array of cruises.
Book by June 28.
See dates and prices.
Regent has provided discounts of up to 84% for Vacations To Go
customers, plus shipboard credits of up to $1,200 per cabin on sailings
in 2018. The upfront price of a luxury Regent cruise includes unlimited
shore excursions, gratuities, unlimited beverages including fine wines
and premium spirits and unlimited Wi-Fi.
See dates and prices.
Viking is offering our customers discounts of up to 76%. Also get
shipboard credits of up to $800 per cabin on certain itineraries. Plus,
fly for free from select gateways on applicable Caribbean cruises from
San Juan, or pay reduced airfare from certain gateways for select
cruises in these regions: Fly from $199 per person for Cuba and the
Caribbean; from $299 per person for the Panama Canal; from $399 per
person for Alaska and Canada/New England; from $599 per person for the
Mediterranean; from $999 per person for Africa and South America; and
from $1,499 per person for Australia/New Zealand.
Book by June
30.
See dates and prices.
Windstar is offering Vacations To Go customers big discounts and
exclusive rates on a variety of sailings, including voyages in the
Caribbean, Mediterranean and Tahiti -- save up to 81%. The line's
casually elegant vessels carry 148 to 310 passengers and call at ports
that large ships can't reach. Select cruises feature James Beard
Foundation culinary demonstrations and guest lecturers.
Book by June
25.
See dates and prices.
Paul Gauguin Cruises has provided Vacations To Go with exclusive
pricing on French Polynesia cruises, for savings of up to 50%. Also
receive shipboard credits of up to $800 per cabin on a range of
departures and reduced deposits on certain sailings.
Book by June
30.
See dates and prices.
As always, these offers are for new bookings only and subject to
availability. Restrictions may apply. Past guests of some cruise lines
may see better rates on select sailings.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is now open for booking,
offering the same luxury at sea for which the Ritz-Carlton hotel brand
is known.
The 298-passenger Ritz-Carlton Yacht, the first of three custom-built
vessels, will begin sailing in 2020. Guests can expect a casually
elegant atmosphere, exceptional service and cuisine and beautifully
designed suites with private balconies. Among the onboard dining venues
is Aqua, which will offer a menu designed by a Ritz-Carlton chef who has
earned three Michelin stars.
Each suite includes the services of a dedicated Personal Assistant who
will take care of the details for a carefree cruise, like making onshore
arrangements or reserving a table in the specialty restaurant.
Fares include onboard gratuities, 24-hour in-room dining, beverages in
your suite and throughout the ship, Wi-Fi and water sports provided at
the marina at the stern.
Ritz-Carlton will sail in Europe, the Caribbean and Canada/New England.
For departures and rates,
click here.
I receive several hundred cruise-related questions every week from my
readers, so today I'd like to share a few inquiries and answers.
Q: We have booked our annual winter Caribbean cruise with the
same agent at Vacations To Go for many years. On our last trip, the
cruise line offered an incentive of shipboard credits if we booked our
next vacation while on board. We weren't sure if we could take advantage
of the offer and still work with our Vacations To Go agent -- would that
have been possible?
A: Yes! If you are on a cruise and choose to book your next
sailing while on board, you can definitely still work with your
Vacations To Go cruise counselor. Just be sure to give our company name
and your cruise counselor's name at the time of booking, and he or she
will follow up with you when you return home.
Q: My husband and I are both U.S. Army veterans, and we want to take a
cruise with my newly retired parents, who are in their 60s. Are there
special rates for us on every sailing?
A: We do offer
military discounts
from nine cruise lines for veterans as well as active, reserve or
retired members of the U.S. military (members of the Canadian Armed
Forces are eligible as well). And, we have
age 55-plus
discounts from five cruise lines. The discounts apply to select
departures only.
Your Vacations To Go travel counselor will research all available
promotions and discounts available for the sailings you are interested
in to give you the best possible price. This may not always be a
military or age-related discount, as we often are able to negotiate
rates that are lower than the specialty fares. Our goal is to save you
as much money as possible on your next vacation, and to make booking
your cruise an easy -- and exciting! -- process.
Q: How much time do I have to buy your cruise insurance after
booking my cruise?
A: We offer the Go Plan from CSA Travel Protection, and it must
be purchased on the same day that you book and make your first deposit
on your cruise. If you decide you do not want the insurance, you have up
to 10 days to cancel it and have your insurance payment refunded, as
long as your trip has not begun.
The CSA Go Plan covers our customers for trip cancellation and trip
interruption due to a variety of reasons, such as a covered illness, an
injury, the death of you or a family member or a traveling companion,
delayed flights due to inclement weather and the documented theft of
passports or visas. For more information about the Go Plan and its
coverage,
click here.
We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance with every cruise.
Cruise lines impose penalties for canceling or changing a reservation,
up to and including loss of the entire cruise price. Cruise lines are
very strict about their cancellation policies and do not make
exceptions, even under extreme
circumstances.
It also is possible for illness or injury to occur during a cruise,
resulting in medical bills from the ship's infirmary and/or the early
termination of the trip. Most traditional health insurance policies do
not cover cruise passengers traveling abroad.
While CSA is our preferred independent insurance partner, the cruise
lines also offer their own plans. You can find summaries of all these
plans by
clicking here.
When you are ready to book a cruise, our cruise counselors will explain
the insurance options that are available for your trip and answer any
questions you may have. If you choose to purchase travel insurance,
you'll enjoy peace of mind knowing that your vacation investment is
protected.
Q: It sounds like many of the newer cruise ships have some pretty
impressive shows on board. Do I need to reserve seats for these in
advance?
A: Traditionally, seating for shows has been available on a
first-come, first-served basis, and it's still that way on many
ships.
But on some vessels, notably the megaships of Royal Caribbean and
Norwegian -- both known for staging dazzling shows with high production
values -- reservations are recommended when the performance is
particularly unique or the venue can't accommodate all of the
passengers. In some cases, you may find that the staff allows a "standby
line" to form outside the venue; if people don't check in for their
reservations at least 10 to 15 minutes before showtime, their spots will
be released to standby guests.
Among the Royal Caribbean shows that passengers should reserve are "The
Gift" (a mix of music and illusion) and "Spectra's Cabaret" (where pop
culture meets high tech) on the
Anthem of the Seas;
"Ice Games" at the ice skating rink and "OceanAria" at the AquaTheater
of the
Allure of the Seas;
and "Grease" on the
Harmony of the Seas.
On Norwegian's newest ship, the
Norwegian Bliss,
reserve your spot if you want to see the Tony Award-winning "Jersey
Boys" or the Cuban-inspired musical "Havana." "Cirque Dreams & Dinner,"
a theatrical dining experience featuring acrobats and aerialists on the
Norwegian Getaway,
Norwegian Breakaway
and
Norwegian Epic,
require reservations and a surcharge of $36 to $48, depending on the
ship and seat location.
This is just a sampling of the wide variety of entertainment on today's
cruise ships. Your Vacations To Go travel counselor can tell you if
reservations are advised or required for any seagoing show.
1)
Alaska, 7 nights on Princess, departs Anchorage Jul 11, oceanview starting at $349, save 71%,
FastDeal # 23607
2)
Caribbean, 7 nights on Celebrity, departs Miami Aug 18, starting at $550, save 71%,
FastDeal # 35599
3)
Mexico, 7 nights on Carnival, departs Los Angeles Sep 22, starting at $484, save 73%,
FastDeal # 24546
4)
Caribbean, 7 nights on Royal Caribbean, departs San Juan Aug 25, starting at $558, save 65%,
FastDeal # 39590
5)
Baltic, 9 nights on Norwegian, departs Berlin Jun 26, starting at $799, save 79%,
FastDeal # 11039
6)
Caribbean, 7 nights on Pullmantur, departs Colon Jun 29, starting at $399, save 73%,
FastDeal # 22436
7)
Alaska, 7 nights on Celebrity, departs Anchorage Jul 27, starting at $749, save 75%,
FastDeal # 23346
8)
British Isles, 9 nights on Cruise & Maritime Voyages, departs Dublin Aug 26, starting at $1,089, save 71%,
FastDeal # 15553
9)
Cuba, 14 nights on Holland America, departs Boston Aug 4, starting at $1,179, save 20%,
FastDeal # 15979
10)
Mediterranean, 7 nights on Crystal, departs Monte Carlo Aug 12, balcony starting at $3,330, save 66%,
FastDeal # 10924
For the best last-minute cruise specials in the next 90 days, please
visit our world-famous
90-Day Ticker.
To search for discounts of up to 82% on cruises departing more than 90
days from now,
click here.
To save up to 40% with escorted tours,
click here.
For river cruises up to 50% off,
click here.
For discounts of up to 50% at hotels and all-inclusive resorts,
click here.
For the lowest rates on Africa safaris from budget to luxury in quality,
click here.
Once you've found a FASTDEAL, call us toll free at 800-338-4962 (US and
Canada) and a cruise counselor will attend to your needs. Customers
from the UK, please call toll free 0-800-098-8546. All other
international customers, please email or call us at +1-713-974-2121.
Please email me your comments, suggestions and questions at
alanfox@vacationstogo.com
and I will respond the same day.
If you enjoy our newsletter, please forward this email to family and
friends.
Sincerely,
Alan Fox
Chairman & CEO
Vacations To Go
