Comments

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  Max Pesling December 18, 2009 at 5:21pm

  What are your main concerns with regard to Norwegian, Linda? Haven't cruised with them lately.
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  LINDA HERRON December 18, 2009 at 5:17pm

  Is anyone else alarmed at the tactics of NCL to get more business??? are your clients happy on NCL ships?? giving away free cruises on Ellen - their new promotion is up to 6 category upgrades - huge shipboard credits - kids sail for $249 on the Epic??? This sets off alarm bells in my head. In the past two years every client I booked on NCL complained (I only sell them if requested - I do not recommend them). They make me nervous!!!
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  David Paul Appell December 18, 2009 at 2:09pm

  Interesting item from eTurbo News re tipping aboard cruise ships: http://www.eturbonews.com/13348/tipping-cruise-ships-etiquette-guide
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  Marcia Raffel Levin December 17, 2009 at 5:16pm

  Norwegian Cruise Line took part in The Ellen DeGeneres show’s 12 Days of Giveaways with a huge surprise for the entire audience: a seven-day Freestyle Cruising vacation for two. Airing today, December 17 on day 11 of the 12-day series on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the cruise giveaway to more than 300 in-studio audience members was also in celebration of Norwegian declaring 2010 as “The Year of the Freestyle Vacation.”
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  Marcia Raffel Levin December 17, 2009 at 4:55pm

  Newspapers and magazines are pretty much out of it when it comes to making assignments to writers they don't know. Budget cuts impact this writing business big time and travel feature writing has suffered quite a bit. Most print pubs are doing everything in-house. I regret I can't offer any recommendations, but wish you good luck in trying.
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  Vivien Devlin December 16, 2009 at 3:04pm

  Thank you Marcia for your quick response. I look forward to meeting you on the Silver Spirit in January.
  
  I do wish to write about this epic seafaring adventure right around South America, with a potential land program to Machu Picchu. I do need a commission in order to organise a trip to Machu Picchu. Can you recommend any newspapers and magazines which might like a feature? on this trip or any of my forthcoming cruising adventures around Brazil, Argentina, Falkland islands, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala - with many excursions to see wildlife, glacier and penguins. I shall be following in the footsteps of Darwin who described Cape Horn as the "uttermost place on earth".
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  Marcia Raffel Levin December 16, 2009 at 2:30pm

  I will be on Silver Spirit Jan 20 and 21 for the naming ceremony and hope to meet you. Would love to cruise for 10 weeks....And I agree, cruising is a great way to see the world.
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  Vivien Devlin December 16, 2009 at 12:09pm

  I am an avid cruiser - a fabulous relaxing slow, slow way to travel the world. I am a particular fan of Silversea cruises, the deluxe, 6 star collection of 4 ships, (Silver Shadow, Whisper, Cloud and Wind) and the Prince Albert II an Expedition vessel (Arctic etc). Silversea regularly wins the best small cruiseline in the world through CN Traveller magazine. With around 280 - 390 passengers, this is intimate yacht style sailing.
  
  A brand new chic, sleek ship, Silver Spirit is launched this week setting off on her maiden voyage from Italy, to Spain and then over the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale. I shall go on board Silver Spirit on 20th January for the Grand Inaugural Voyage - a 10 week cruise around South and Central America. I shall keep you all informed in regular post card -diary blogs.
  
  Please add Silversea Cruises to the list of Cruise lines.
  
  thank you, Vivien
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  Marcia Raffel Levin December 15, 2009 at 4:07pm

  Single travelers - who constantly lament the surcharge for not sharing a cabin - can get a break through Jan. 31 on MSC Poesia, offering discounted single rates on select February and March Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.
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  Marcia Raffel Levin December 10, 2009 at 2:57pm

  Port Everglades - set in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and a bit of Dania Beach - has interesting new signage enabling tourists to get around with greater ease. The new signs readily identify ships by name and where to drop off, etc. Port Everglades is the cruise ship capital of the world with more than 3.4 million passengers expected during 2010 and more homeported cruise ships than any cruise port worldwide. Sixteen cruise lines and 49 cruise ships will sail from the seaport this season.