Carnival Cruise Lines

First, they are raising rates because of increased demand for their cruises over the summer. That’s a sign that the travel industry is rebounding a bit. In truth, cruise rates have been terrific for the past year and change, so it’s only natural the cruise industry would eventually raise their rates.

Second, Carnival has actually given us advance warning that they’re going to raise their rates. That means you can still book a cruise today at the lower rates!

So, don’t hesitate. Go ahead and book your Carnival cruise today before those prices go up!

Here is the press release from Carnival…

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES REPORTS RECORD WAVE SEASON ACTIVITY

Summer Price Increase Effective March 22

MIAMI (February 24, 2010) – Carnival Cruise Lines is reporting record wave season bookings, with strong reservations activity for 2010 departures. As a result of the strong booking volumes, a general price increase will be implemented effective March 22 for all summer sailings in June, July and August.

For the period of Jan. 1 through Feb. 21, 2010, bookings were at unprecedented levels for the line’s 22 ships which operate three- to 15-day voyages from a variety of convenient North American home ports.

Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said, “We’re seeing significantly increased volume as consumers are taking advantage of the incredible value that a Carnival cruise provides. And while pricing hasn’t fully recovered to 2008 levels, we are increasing prices and will implement an across-the-board increase effective March 22.”

He said that the price increases will vary by departure date but will be up to 5 percent.

Cahill attributed the record booking activity to a wide range of factors, including strong travel agent partner support, targeted marketing initiatives, itinerary enhancements and the wide variety of close-to-home departure points.

Wave season typically runs from about mid-January through early spring and is traditionally the busiest, most important booking period in the cruise industry.

Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 15 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England and Europe.

Carnival also has two new ships on order — the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic, which is scheduled for delivery in 2011, and a sister ship set to debut in 2012.

Thank you for helping us achieve these record booking volumes.

Sincerely,

Carnival Cruise Lines

If you’re a cruiser, then you also know that New Orleans is a great place to start your Caribbean cruise.

There are two ships that sail from New Orleans on Western Caribbean cruises: the Carnival Triumph and the Norwegian Spirit.

Cruises on the Carnival Triumph range from 4-7 days and visit ports like Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. A few cruises venture toward the east and visit the Bahamas and Key West.

Cruises on the Norwegian Spirit range from 7-12 days and visit a wide variety of countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Bermuda and more!

These cruises start at only $249 per person!  So, check out these cruise deals from New Orleans and book today!

When I did my taxes this year, I found out that I gave the government way too much money in 2009. Thankfully, they plan on giving me that money back. It’s going right into my cruise fund.

So, really the question is where would you like to go with your tax refund? There are all sorts of deals available nowadays.

Royal Caribbean recently lowered their rates on some of their spring voyages. Norwegian Cruise Lines is offering free upgrades and other bonus specials. Carnival Cruise Lines has just finished renovating the Carnival Fascination.

There are also some great deals on some upcoming voyages to the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska!

Don’t delay! Get started on your 2010 vacation planning today! Click one of the links here or start your search using the cruise search form.

(Photo by Refracted Moments/Flickr Creative Commons)

Carnival Cruise Lines sails exclusively from Mobile, Ala., and features cruises sailing to the Western Caribbean starting at $229 per person!

Book one of our departure port cruise deals from Mobile, and you could sail to exotic ports like Cozumel, Calica, Progreso, Montego Bay, and Grand Cayman.

Until May, the Carnival Fantasy will sail from Mobile. Afterwards, the Carnival Elation moves to Mobile for your Caribbean adventures.

Both ships have been recently refurbished as part of Carnival’s Evolutions of Fun program. Among the multi-million dollar upgrades made to each ship are nearly 100 new balcony staterooms, an adults-only retreat, a new water park, a redesigned pool complex, and a new facility for tweens.

So, whether you’re looking for a short cruise or a week-long cruise, these Alabama cruise deals departing from Mobile are the perfect recipe for fun!

Book your cruise from Mobile today!

(Photo courtesy Carnival)

Carnival Cruise Lines announced that their newest ship, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic is now on sale.

Past guests will enjoy deep discounts on these first voyages in the Mediterranean, which begin in May 2011. In fact, the first voyage is a 9-day cruise from Venice to Barcelona, which is where the ship will be based for its Mediterranean cruises.

Until Monday, past guests will receive a complimentary two-category upgrade and special pricing starting at $829 per person, based on double occupancy.

The Carnival Magic, sister ship of the Carnival Dream, will feature many popular attractions including a WaterWorks aqua park, an entertainment cafe venue called Ocean Plaza, an adults-only treat called Serenity, modern facilties for children and teens, and a wide variety of stateroom categories.

On the Carnival Magic, it’s not just about whether you want an inside or outside cabin. Do you want a balcony with or without a spa? Do you want to stay in the Grand Suite or the Owner’s Suite? Extended balcony?

From Carnival:

Carnival Magic’s 2011 Mediterranean schedule will encompass three seven-day departures, six nine-day cruises, and eight 12-day voyages round-trip from Barcelona between May and October. A special one-time nine-day voyage from Venice to Barcelona will be offered in May.

Seven-day cruises will feature Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples and Messina, Italy. Nine-day cruises will call at Marseilles, France – our first call at this charming coastal town – followed by Monte Carlo; Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples, and Messina; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The special nine-day cruise will visit Dubrovnik, Croatia; Messina, Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia), Livorno and Monte Carlo.

The 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyages will feature Monte Carlo or Marseilles; Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples; Dubrovnik (excluding a May departure which will visit Palma de Mallorca); Venice (overnight call) and Messina.

The time is now to book these first voyages! The prices are low, and excitement is high!

Book your inaugural cruise on the Carnival Magic today!

(Carnival Dream photo taken in Roatan, Honduras)

Photo courtesy Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines has released its weekly specials, and they are offering amazing deals on some February and March departures!

For only $179 per person, you can enjoy a 4-night adventure to Key West and Cozumel on a terrific ship — the Carnival Destiny. That’s less than the cost of a hotel room for four nights… and you get an all-inclusive experience.

These specials listed below are only valid until Friday and are per person based on double occupancy.

Book your next Fun Ship cruise today!  Click the ship names or the sailing dates!

The deal I received earlier this week was simple… book an oceanview cabin on the Pride and get a free upgrade to a balcony!

This is only on select sailings between October and March.

See below for a list of applicable sailings, and click here to take advantage of this Carnival Cruise deal!

As part of the Carnival Cash Back offer, you can receive up to $240 cash back (in the form of a stateroom credit). The longer the voyage, the better the cash back.

Sailings start at $249 per person! A short cruise at $249 per person would actually be $199 per person when you count the cash back offer!

Take a look at our hot Carnival Cruise deals, and book today!

Carnival Cruise Lines announced today that it will resume making port calls in Mexico. Some of the itineraries into early June had been changed, but I’m being told that those itineraries will revert back to their original ports.

This is good news from my point of view. Having sailed to Mexico on a number of occasions, I can tell you that it’s a heck of a good time, and travelers were certainly suffering by not getting to experience the culture and activities these ports had to offer.

The cruise lines are bending over backwards to sell the space on these cruise ships. They are offering deep discounts, and with this beautiful summer coming up, now is the best time to get on board!

Here is a list of current Carnival cruise deals. Also, check out these Mexico cruise deals across all cruise lines.

Here’s the text of the e-mail I received…

Carnival Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which is no longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico.  Once all voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those vessels will revert to their original routes featuring stops in Mexico.

Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. A ship-by-ship listing including dates for when each vessel will return to its original schedule is available at www.bookccl.com/pdf/itinerary_changes.pdf

Please rest assured that the health and well being of our guests and crew is our highest priority and we are returning to Mexico after careful evaluation and consultation with the CDC.  It is important to note that the concentration of H1N1 flu cases in Mexico has been inland rather than in the coastal resort areas where our ships visit.

The cruise industry works closely with U.S. public health officials in the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program in developing and complying with extensive policies and procedures that are effective in mitigating illness aboard cruise ships.  Carnival will continue to follow CDC guidelines for cruise ships which include pre-boarding health questionnaires for all guests and crew, along with secondary screening by shipboard medical professionals as necessary.  Additionally, all Carnival ships stock influenza test kits and anti-viral medications for treating type A influenzas.

Mexico is one of our most popular destinations and we look forward to once again providing your clients the opportunity to enjoy its many wonderful sites and attractions.  We are very pleased to be returning to Mexico and would also very much like to thank you for your understanding and patience during the past few weeks.

Sincerely,
Lynn C. Torrent
Senior Vice President of Sales and Guest Services
Carnival Cruise Lines

Dogs will now be allowed to travel on Carnival’s fleet of vacation vessels.

In the announcement, the cruise line said the change was being made after listening to customer feedback.

“We heard that many of our guests couldn’t stand to spend time apart from their canine companions,” said Flora Spoil, Carnival’s executive vice president of passenger services. “We want to let you know that we heard your complaints, and we’ve been listening. We weren’t listening when you complained about the fuel supplements, but we are now focused on your happiness while aboard our ships.”

Carnival, which brands itself as the “Fun Ship” cruise line said more changes could be coming based on other customer inputs.

“We’re considering other customer enhancements on our ships,” Ms. Spoil said. “For instance, we are in the process of developing a system that allows guests to easily locate their bags at the end of the cruise. Instead of putting all the bags grouped by colored tags in the terminal, we’re going to group all the guests in the terminal by deck number and bring their bags directly to them. We’ll call it a ‘Baggage Claim.’”

Ms. Spoil would not discuss specifics of the system, but rumors are rampant that it may consist of some sort of conveyor system coupled with a circular or oval-shaped carousel the bags would be emptied into.

“Without giving away trade secrets, it’s really going to be a novel innovation,” Ms. Spoil said. “Nobody in the travel industry has ever done anything like it!”

Carnival plans to roll out the system on April Fool’s Day 2010.

(Editor’s Note: Carnival isn’t really doing any of this, but they do have some unbelievable specials available. Click here for the latest Carnival Cruise Deals! Only an April fool would pass these cruise deals up!)