Senate Commits To Vote On US Travel Act

The US Travel Association today applauded U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for their leadership and agreement to move the Travel Promotion Act (S. 1023) as the first order of business following the Senate's August recess. The legislation will deliver $4 billion in new spending annually to the economy by attracting millions of additional international visitors to the United States. Championed by Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and John Ensign (R-NV), the bill also has the strong bipartisan support of 51 additional Senators.

"The Travel Promotion Act is common-sense legislation that will create American jobs, strengthen local communities and reduce the federal deficit," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the US Travel Association. "Travel promotion is the proverbial 'no brainer' - just ask every other developed nation in the world that is wooing Americans to spend our hard-earned dollars in their economies. We appreciate the Senate's commitment to put America on a level playing field."

In 2008, overseas travel to the United States remained below pre-9/11 levels for the seventh consecutive year. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international arrivals are down 10 percent year-to-date in 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. Overseas travelers are especially important to the United States economy as they spend an average of $4,500 per person per visit.

"This legislation could not come at a more critical time for millions of workers across the U.S. dependent on a strong travel economy for their livelihoods," said Dow. "With the support of Senators Reid, McConnell, Dorgan, Ensign, Rockefeller and others, America is one step closer to strengthening its economy. We encourage the House of Representatives to follow the Senate with prompt passage of the Travel Promotion Act."

The Travel Promotion Act creates a non-profit corporation to better communicate America's travel policies and promote the United States as a premier travel destination. No U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to fund the program. The program is funded by the private sector and a $10 fee collected by the Department of Homeland Security from travelers who do not pay $131 for a visa to visit the United States. Nearly every developed nation other than the United Sates operates a multi-million dollar promotion program to attract foreign visitors.

Carnival to debut Interactive 'Funhub'

The new Carnival Dream, set to debut Sept. 21, will introduce the FunHub, a comprehensive shipboard intranet portal featuring the cruise industry's first on-board social network, along with access to a wide variety of information on the ship's services, facilities and daily activities.

Access to the FunHub will be available via 36 state-of-the-art stations located on decks 3, 4 and 5, including 12 within Ocean Plaza, Carnival Dream's spectacular indoor/outdoor café and entertainment venue.

The FunHub locations will provide guests with free and convenient access to an informative ship-specific intranet portal, and an exclusive shipboard social network, both of which will be available on a 24/7 basis. Guests may also access the sites via their personal laptops or via 10-inch netbooks which are available for rent and can be used anywhere on board.

Carnival Dream's on-board social network mirrors the experience one finds on other social networking sites. Guests can create a personal profile and use the application to meet and interact with others on board, send and receive private messages, create groups based on interests, and invite friends to attend shows or participate in on-board events. Guests can also create their own private or public discussion group, inviting others in their traveling party or friends they meet on board to participate.

Designed as a convenient resource for wide-ranging information specific to the Carnival Dream, the intranet portal details the ship's numerous on-board activities, including entertainment options, daily events and youth programs. Carnival Dream's extensive food and beverage offerings are showcased with sample menus, hours of operation and more. A filtering application is available to assist guests in planning their day.

The portal also includes weather updates for that day and the next port of call; the latest news and sports scores; biographies of key shipboard personnel; ship and cruise director announcements; fun, interactive polls; helpful three-dimensional ship maps, and a frequently asked questions section.

A year-long collaboration involving Carnival's hotel operations, marketing, IT and guest experience departments, the Carnival Dream's on-board social network and intranet portal are available on any guest computer or Wi-Fi enabled device free of charge.

"Carnival is the industry leader in cruise ship technology and social networking and the FunHub sets a new standard," said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival's executive vice president of marketing and guest experience. "The FunHub provides Carnival Dream guests with an exciting and convenient way to keep in touch, meet new friends and learn all about this spectacular addition to the 'Fun Ship' fleet," he added.

Want to join in on the fun? Call me now to book a cabin on this wonderful cruise ship! Call (706) 579-5005 or (877) CRUISE1.

CruiseOne at Carnival's 'Pinacle'

CruiseOne, part of the nation's largest cruise retail network as part of World Travel Holdings (WTH), have been named to Carnival Cruise Lines' Pinnacle Club for top producers. The accolade was made official during a presentation by Carnival executives to Brad Tolkin, co-chairman/co-CEO of WTH and Dwain Wall, senior vice president/general manager of CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.
"CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. are in the midst of an outstanding year, both in terms of recruiting new agents to the industry and delivering increasingly high booking numbers to the cruise lines," said Tolkin. "Carnival Cruise Line is a valued partner and we are so thrilled to receive this recognition, which underscores the diligence of our agents amidst a challenging economic climate."

Golden Princess Emerges From Three-Week Dry-Dock

The Golden Princess emerged from the most extensive dry-dock ever undertaken by Princess Cruises, one that was followed closely by thousands of cruise aficionados around the world. Throughout the three-week makeover, a daily online photo journal showed the work needed to add such signature Princess features as a piazza-style atrium, an adults-only Sanctuary, a poolside movie screen, and a new Crown Grill steak and seafood restaurant. The online journal, which was updated each day on http://www.princess.com/, as well as on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, featured more than 180 photos as the project was undertaken at Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia. The full transformation is available for viewing at www.princess.com/goldendrydock, and features scenes of the hull of the ship and propellers out of the water with the new silicone underwater paint being applied. Also pictured are hundreds of pieces of furniture being reupholstered and key public areas being demolished and re-configured into new spaces. During a short sampler sailing to Ketchikan and then back to Seattle, the new features were unveiled to passengers, and the ship is now cruising on its first Alaska voyage of the season. Golden Princess will continue to offer weekly departures from Seattle on roundtrip Inside Passage voyages through Sept. 12.

Now that the transformation is nearly complete, Golden Princess’ atrium features a new piazza with a street café atmosphere and two new dining options. The International Café serves specialty coffees, cookies, pastries, panini sandwiches and tapas, while wine bar Vines offers more than 30 wines by the glass, plus a selection of seafood, artisan meats and cheeses, and a wine shop. The Sanctuary, an adults-only retreat, features plush padded lounge chairs and the services of Serenity Stewards. Visitors can enjoy beverages and light snacks or receive a massage in a private cabana. A new 300-square-foot poolside LED screen now features evening movies and daytime programming. In addition to family cinema and first-run hits, it showcases major sporting events, concerts and other programming. The ship also now features a new relocated casino on deck 7, a new sports court, a new Internet café and library, and a refurbished fitness center. All passenger cabins were also fitted with new flat-screen televisions.
Some spaces are still in the final phases of completion, including the new Crown Grill restaurant, newly constructed suites, and the relocated shore excursions desk and wedding chapel.

RCCL Announces 2010/11 Short Caribbean Itineraries

Royal Caribbean International announced its 2010/11 Short Caribbean cruises -- a total of 331 sailings, comprised of 20 itineraries and 15 ports of call. The cruise line will enhance and expand its deployment in Tampa with Radiance of the Seas from autumn 2010 through spring 2011, while Majesty of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas will continue their year-round Bahamas getaway sailings from their respective homeports of Miami and Port Canaveral. Grandeur of the Seas will reposition to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale for summer and autumn 2010, after which Navigator of the Seas will take over short Caribbean itineraries for its fourth consecutive season. Bookings for the line's 2010/11 short cruises are now open.

Radiance of the Seas' itineraries will include a four-night sailing, calling at Cozumel, Mexico, and a five-night sailing that adds Costa Maya. The ship's 2010 season will kick-off with a seven-night Western Caribbean sailing on Oct. 9, calling at George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; and Belize City, Belize.

Grandeur of the Seas will reposition from Tampa and continue sailing four- and five-night Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Everglades in April 2010. Ports of call will include Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya, George Town and CocoCay.

In November 2010, Navigator of the Seas will replace Grandeur of the Seas at Port Everglades, also offering four- and five-night itineraries. On one of its five-night itineraries that depart Mondays, Navigator of the Seas will call at the new port of Falmouth, Jamaica, and Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach paradise on the north Haitian coast. Other ports of call will include George Town, Cozumel, Belize City and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Majesty of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas will continue year-round three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries, departing Mondays and Fridays from Miami and Port Canaveral. Ports of call will include Nassau, CocoCay and Costa Maya.

Carnival Launches "Your Choice Dining" Program

Carnival Cruise Lines has launched Your Choice Dining, which provides a selection of three dinner seating options for guests aboard the line’s 22-ship fleet. In addition to early or late assigned seating, the cruise line is rolling out Your Time open seating to accommodate individual guest preferences. Also, under the new Your Choice Dining program, dining assignments will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Your Time open seating, currently available on five ships, will be implemented one vessel at a time over the next several months as modifications in dining room table configurations are completed on each ship. An additional eight ships are scheduled to be converted by the end of year, and the balance of the fleet will be converted by summer 2010. The program is now available on the Carnival Legend, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Paradise and Carnival Miracle. By the end of this month, it will be available on the Carnival Conquest, Carnival Elation and Carnival Pride. It will be available on the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Spirit by mid-June; the Carnival Dream by late September; the Carnival Ecstasy by mid-October; the Carnival Glory by mid-December; the Carnival Fascination by February 2010; and the Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Victory by summer 2010.

Confirmed dining assignments are now available fleet-wide. At the time of booking, guests are asked to choose from among early dining at 6 p.m., late dining at 8:15 p.m. or Your Time dining, which allows guests to dine at any time between 5:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., if applicable, depending on the ship and sailing date. Dining assignments will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, according to when guests made their reservations. If the preferred dining choice is not available, guests may confirm an alternate choice and be placed on a waitlist for their first preferences. Waitlists will be cleared prior to the sailing, and guests will be notified via email of their confirmed seating assignments.

Your Time guests also can request any table size or waiter and are typically seated immediately when arriving at the dining room. If a modest wait time is required, guests are given a pager so they are free to relax elsewhere on the ship until their table is ready. Additional options available under Your Choice Dining include poolside eateries and, on a number of ships, reservations-only, fine-dining restaurants.

Royal Caribbean releases itinerary details for new Allure of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas will sail seven-day, alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries beginning Dec. 12, 2010, Royal Caribbean International said Monday.

The 220,000-ton, 5,400-passenger Allure and its sister-ship the Oasis of the Seas will be world’s two largest cruise ships when they debut: the Oasis this November and the Allure one year later.

Both ships will be based out of Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, with the Allure leaving on Sundays and the Oasis on Saturdays.

Both Allure itineraries will feature three days at sea, and in the eastern Caribbean will call in St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Nassau. In the western Caribbean, it will go to Falmouth, Jamaica; Cozumel, Mexico; and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach on the northern coast of Haiti.

Bookings for the Allure’s inaugural season open on April 2 for Diamond- and Diamond Plus-level members of the Crown & Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program, and on April 8 for all Crown & Anchor Society members. General bookings will open on April 13.

Thanks to Travel Weekly for the update.