A Touch of Class

The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.

- Carl Jung

Fun is the order of the day for Carnival cruises, and Princess is the Love Boat. You can't get hipper or more active than Royal Caribbean. While all cruise lines manage to please about everyone who boards, they all tend to deliver experiences geared more for one particular market than all others.

When you're ready for a touch of class but don't want to spend more than you would on other mainstream cruises, Celebrity is an excellent choice. It does come with a cost. Your fellow passengers will expect a certain sense of decorum and elegance of style. If you've imagined yourself to be James Bond in a tuxedo sipping a Martini (shaken, not stirred), you'll feel quite at home on Celebrity. I tried to go to tea one time in slacks and a silk shirt on one Celebrity cruise, and the Maitre d' simply pointed at my tennis shoes to let me know they were unacceptable attire. A quick trip to the room rectified the situation, and looking around upon my return, I realized Celebrity's policy is to ensure other passengers get what they anticipated for the occasion: an upscale affair included at no additional charge.

Then again, I know someone who cruised with his family aboard Celebrity without bringing a collared shirt. I loaned him one of mine so he could experience the excellent dining room experience at least once, but despite foregoing one of the line's highlights, his family praised it as one of their all time favorite cruises, second only to Disney, which was high praise indeed for a family with three small children. In addition to being quite deluxe, you see, Celebrity's crew members also pride themselves on outstanding service.

A Celebrity Suite takes luxury to a new level, but for many people, it is hard to make that financial leap. Celebrity Concierge Class, however, makes many Suite amenities affordable, taking a larger stateroom with private balcony and adding many services you would expect to find only in much larger Suites, like fresh cut flowers and fruit delivered to your room, a personal concierge to book your shore excursions and a choice of pillows to suit every passenger. The list of extras is long, but suffice it to say they are additional touches of class that make you feel special.

Celebrity offers many wonderful itineraries. Here are a few favorites that include special amenities like onboard credit or wine delivered onboard:

Prime summer tropical summer cruising aboard Summit on July 25, 2010, embarking from Cape Liberty (by New York City) to the pink sand and turquoise water of Bermuda, starting at just $849 per person, or only $1349 pp for Concierge Class.

Alaska's fabulous Inside Passage on Infinity embarking August 20, 2010, with Category 10 inside starting at just $889 and Concierge Class from $1499.

8-Night New Year's Southern Caribbean cruise on Summit embarking December 26, 2010, starting at $999 per person, with Concierge Class from $1799. If you've never done New Year's Eve on a cruise, try it!

And, of course, all through the summer you can enjoy Celebrity's Mediterranean cruises, many of which have special amenities, too.

Too excited to wait? You're in luck, because you can snag one of Celebrity's exciting Last Minute Deals! Almost every week brings new specials, so call me when you suddenly find some extra money in your pocket or your boss tells you to take some time off.

Whatever cruise you choose, be sure to call 866-554-5553, because "Better service leads to better trips!"

Last Minute Valentine's Day Gift

If you're in panic mode right now because you forgot your honey's Valentine's Day present, you can go from zero to hero in a few clicks. Choose from one of these three terrific cruise lines depending on your personal predilections. I kept the descriptions tight and easy to contemplate, because I know you're in a hurry and don't have time for lengthy explanations right now.

For those who love adventure and want the most exciting, cutting-edge ships imaginable:

Royal Caribbean

If you want a more intimate ship with fewer bells and whistles but with your own butler:

Azamara Club Cruises

If you enjoy fine dining but demand the choice of a large ship in a refined astmosphere:

Celebrity Cruises

Pick any of those great cruise lines, the best in their categories in my humble opinion, and within a few clicks, you can have a cruise booked and print a receipt. Fold the receipt in half, and take out a tube of old lipstick and write on the front:

Happy Valentine's Day!

You've made my life paradise,

so I thought I'd return the favor!

Love,

(your name)

Oh, and be sure to draw a heart around your message! That's the slickest way to do it, choosing exactly the cruise you want, including romantic Mediterranean, enchanting Northern Europe and majestic Alaska.

If you have some flexibility and want a hot deal, check out Celebrity Exciting Deals or Royal Caribbean Happy Hour Deals. Just remember to come back to book on Tuesday, or you'll disappoint your sweetie pie, which could be very bad for you. Maybe you better send an e-mail to Wes@CruisePlanners1.com right now and get a reply that says you're in the queue for Tuesday. "Better service leads to better trips."

Live Booking Engine

You probably know I'm happy to get you a cruise on any cruise line that suits you, but I must admit having some favorites. I sell a lot of Princess cruises, because they cover some amazing itineraries and frequently have terrific value. I also book many Carnival cruises due to their year-round presence in Southern California and the Gulf Coast coupled with their great pricing. I sell quite a few Norwegian, especially for Hawaii, and Holland America, which always delivers high quality cruises. Costa, Cunard, Oceania, Windstar...I sell them all. Of course I'm always excited to sell Crystal, Regent Seven Seas or any of the premium priced smaller cruise ships, which provide truly outstanding and unique voyages but definitely are priced quite a bit higher than mainstream ships.

I want to be sure you understand that I represent all cruise lines, but most do not lend themselves well to offering live pricing. Why not? Because they have complex systems of pricing based on the characteristics of the client. In addition, there are also value judgments that are not factored in by a live booking engine. Because I study cruises for a living, I understand how to navigate these nuanced waters to find the best rooms as well as overall deals for my clients. However, I also know that some people simply want to be able to check prices themselves, even in the middle of the night.

As an experiment, I have included three live booking engines on my blog in the right hand column. They happen to be three of my favorite lines, all of which are in the Royal Caribbean family of brands. The search engines on my site do a good job of filtering information, but I will also be happy to double check your booking after the fact to be sure you found the best room and value for your needs.

Royal Caribbean is the favorite of families and young adults who love adventure and lead active lifestyles. The largest ship in the world, Oasis of the Seas, is the new leader of the pack, and it is truly remarkable, but the other ships in its line, including Mariner of the Seas which embarks weekly from Los Angeles, are also terrific and only marginally less magnificent.

Celebrity is Royal Caribbean's upscale sister line. With what most feel to be the finest dining room experience on the water, Celebrity feels like it should be very expensive, but in fact it frequently costs about the same as Royal Caribbean, and sometimes it costs less. It appeals primarily to adults over forty, but young families also love it.

Finally, Azamara Club Cruise's three smaller ships round out the family. With butler service for every room, and balconies on most rooms as well as suites, Azamara aims to be a cut above the rest in terms of quality in an intimate setting not unlike a boutique hotel. However, price wise Azamara remains considerably below the premium lines, making it a great value. Like those premium lines, Azamara's smaller size allows it to visit unique ports passed over by mainstream ships.

Anyway, try a quick search using one of the engines in the right hand column of this page, and hopefully you will find something that strikes you right now. I'll be happy to provide all of my usual follow-up assistance, just as on any other booking.