Royal Caribbean has added a surcharge of $3.95 per room service order delivered between midnight and 5 a.m. fleetwide and was effective January 1. Although the cruise line did not announce the policy change it is clearly stated on its web site.

Are we seeing the start of a la carte pricing when on board? The cruise lines are following the airlines who have gone from an all inclusive fare to charging for almost everything and passengers have gone along with it.

Bellevue, WA 12/31/08: The Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance has bestowed the designation of Niche Cruise Specialist on Winston Cole of planmycruisevacation.com after completing a curriculum of study on specialty cruise programs. Winston joins a select group of travel agents throughout the United States and Canada who have already completed the course of study.

As you plan your cruise vacation you may want to consider this. Anyone seeking a truly personalized vacation experience in a particular venue should take a closer look at those who have decided on a private tour as opposed to a group tour with great success.

Although the economy may be depressed, there is certainly no reason for a prospective traveler to be. Cruises that are pocket friendly are simply a matter of “positioning” yourself into their wake.

Cruise ships are a bit like migrating birds; they head for the warm areas such as South America for the winter months, come back to the US ports in the spring or vice versa. This movement of vessels is called repositioning, and is a method of keeping cruise vessels in operation throughout the year.

Imagine you on a 14-night cruise from Greenwich, visiting the very best of Ireland, the Channel Islands, Scotland and England
exploring the fascinating Gaelic culture of Ireland and Scotland, visiting cities including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dublin and Cork, plus the beautiful Hebridean Isle of Lewis and charming Waterford in Ireland, renowned for its world class crystal.

Discounts are the name of the game in today’s financially stressed marketplace. Even cruise lines, which are popular vacation choices, are feeling the pinch as anxious consumers withdraw from luxuries such as vacations in uncertain times. With a decrease in the number of bookings being reported industry-wide, discount cruises are on the increase for both median-priced cruises and upscale cruise lines alike.

Conde Nast, one of the most highly regarded travel magazines, has revealed that Windstar Cruises has once again been voted one of the “Top Small Ship Cruise Lines” for 2008 through the Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice awards.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Royal Caribbean, who recently announced the Youth Zone as the final ‘Hood on board one of the most unique cruise ships ever launched. The Oasis of the Seas, with a scheduled debut date of November, 2009, will feature seven neighborhoods designed to provide the best cruise experience for passengers, with the Youth Zone as the final addition.

Carnival on December 4, 2008 announced it will suspend the fuel supplement for cruises departing on, or after December 17, 2008. The change also affects Carnival-owned Costa Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. The company cites the reason of rapid fall of oil prices. Within the past three months oil prices have dropped from $147 to $46 a barrel.

In the face of the current economic stress, it is good news to hear that there is one industry reporting positive numbers. The cruise industry is showing a strong presence in today’s economy with an estimated 350,000 jobs added to the employment rolls in 2007, according to a recent CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) report.