Thursday, March 31, 2011

We Did It, Thanks to You! Our Charity: Water Campaign is Fully Funded

I have some excellent news to share with you. As of March 31st, our charity: water campaign is fully funded! With the help of our friends, family, and colleagues, my husband and I raised $5,460 to build a fresh water project in a developing country.

Now the real work begins! charity: water will start by selecting the location of our project. It will be placed in one of 17 developing countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, or Uganda.

From now through June, charity: water will work with the community to recruit and train a water committee, hygiene educators, and maintenance support teams. Construction for the project will begin in July and, if all goes well, the community will have a new and reliable source for clean drinking water by the end of 2011. Leonard and I hope to spend some time volunteering in this community for a week in early 2012.

The project itself will be named to honor my parents, Theresa and John, and my deceased grandmother. This means so much to me and my family. We’re still struggling day to day with the challenges of my parents’ illnesses but we are comforted by all the support our friends have shown us.

Leonard and I can’t thank you enough for helping us achieve this goal! Together we are providing 273 people with clean, safe drinking water for 20 years. That’s an accomplishment for which we can all be proud!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Party Post: Comment to Win!

* * * Tonight is Luxury Cruise Bible's first Twitter and blog party. Our special guest is American Safari Cruises. We're chatting live right now—Tuesday, March 22 between 7–8 pm EST—on Twitter and will give away six Frommer's Hawaii 2011 guidebooks by Jeanette Foster and one Barnes & Noble Nook ereader. You can participate without joining Twitter. Read this previous blog post for full party details.  Check out these tips for attending Twitter parties. * * *

Questions of the Evening—Answer to Win a Prize

Q1: Would you pick a Hawaiian Island cruise or an itinerary that focuses on Mexico's Sea of Cortez? Why?

Q2: Which Hawaiian Island—Maui, Big Island, Molokai, Molokini, Lanai—would you most like to visit and why?

Q3. Which type of shore excursions do you prefer: beach day/snorkeling, hiking, horseback riding, or a cultural event?

Q4: Have you ever sailed on a small ship with just 40 passengers, like Safari Explorer? What do you love about small ships?

Q5: What worries you about small ship sailing?

Q6: Despite all the airport hassles, possible weather delays, and expense, why do you still love to travel?

Answer each of these questions by commenting on this post on March 22nd between 7 and 8 pm EST for your chance to win a Frommer's Hawaii 2011 guidebook or a Barnes & Noble Nook ereader. (You must include your email address when commenting. Your address won't be published but I'll need it to contact you if you win a prize.)





Get to Know American Safari Cruises

Safari Explorer's nimble design allows the yacht to explore the intimate shorelines of the Hawaiian Islands. Learn more about American Safari Cruises' new Hawaiian Island itineraries.


Safari Explorer bar - wine, beer, and spirits are included in the cruise fare.


Head to the Wine Library aboard Safari Explorer to purchase ultra-premium wines (free pours available elsewhere on the ship).


Meals are prepared by executive chef Craig White and are served in the main dining room (open seating).


Admiral cabins feature king or twin beds, windowed door or view window, TV/DVD, and a bathroom with both a Jacuzzi and shower.


The bathrooms aboard Safari Explorer are spacious and well designed. Some have whirlpool tubs.


For those interested in Mexico Sea of Cortes sailings, here's American Safari's 22-guest Safari Quest.


I love the 12-passenger Safari Spirit. It's so intimate! We sailed aboard the Safari Spirit in Alaska's Inside Passage.




Read More About American Safari Cruises

Travel writer Janet Groene reports on American Safari's Safari Quest and its Sea of Cortez itineraries for Grandparents.com.

World traveler Lisa Sonne discusses her time sailing Alaska’s Inside Passage aboard American Safari's Safari Spirit for Yachting Magazine.

Here’s what travel writers Bill Hirsch and Yvette Cardoza had to say about their trip with American Safari in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.

It’s a fluke—and that’s a good thing. Ludmilla Alexander’s take on American Safari from the Sunday Oregonian.

Frommers gives its highest ranking (3 stars) to American Safari Cruises.

Get CruiseCritic.com’s take on American Safari here—all the member reviews are 5 stars or higher!

About.com’s Linda Garrison reviews American Safari's Safari Quest in the Sea of Cortez.

In case you missed it: here’s a terrific Islands Magazine article by Yvonne Horne about Mexico’s Galapagos (Sea of Cortez).





American Safari Videos

Captain Dan Blanchard introduces you to American Safari Cruises with this video.

Want to swim with sea lions? You can with American Safari! Check out this video.



The first Luxury Cruise Bible Twitter party is going on now (March 22, 2011 from 7–8 pm EST). Please join us if you're online now!

We're giving away six Frommer's Hawaii 2011 guidebooks by Jeanette Foster and a Barnes & Noble Wi-Fi-enabled Nook ereader! (Prizes can only be shipped to addresses in the United States or Canada.)

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos courtesy of American Safari Cruises



We're bringing clean water to a village in 2011.
Learn more about our clean water project.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Reminder: American Safari Cruises Twitter Party Today at 7pm EST

Don't forget about today's Twitter/blog party with special guest American Safari Cruises!

REGISTER NOW to win one of six Frommer's Hawaii 2011 guidebooks by Jeanette Foster or a Barnes & Noble Wi-Fi-enabled Nook ereader! (Prizes can only be shipped to addresses in the United States or Canada.)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
7 pm Eastern Time

(6 Central | 5 Mountain | 4 Pacific)

We're looking forward to chatting with all of you and giving away some very cool prizes. You'll learn about American Safari Cruises and its yacht vacations in Hawaii, Mexico, and Alaska.


—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo © Leonard Hospidor



Twitter Party Tips: How to Attend the Luxury Cruise Bible Chat on 3/22 @ 7pm EST. Win Prizes!

Are you planning on attending the Luxury Cruise Bible Twitter party with special guest American Safari Cruises on Tuesday, March 22nd at 7pm EST (4pm Pacific)? I hope so!

Twitter parties are a lot of fun but they can move FAST. Here are the three ways in which I suggest you virtually "attend" the party.

Attend Via TweetGrid.com—
Recommended Method

1. Make sure you have your Twitter.com login credentials handy. If you don't already have a Twitter account, sign up for one now.
 
2. Go to TweetGrid.com and click on the "Party" button (circled in red above).

3. Fill out the requested information as follows:

Party Hashtag: #LCB #AMSAFARI

Party Host(s): @luxcruisebible, @americansafari
(be sure to include the comma separating the two Twitter handles above)

Your username: [ fill in your Twitter handle here ]

4. Then click "Join the Party!"

5. Okay, you should now see the TweetGrid panel from which you'll attend the party. All party messages will scroll on the far left panel. Messages from the party hosts — @luxcruisebible and @americansafari — will scroll down the middle panel, and your own messages will scroll down the far right column.

IMPORTANT: Check to be sure that there is a # sign in front of the #AMSAFARI hashtags on the right and left of the screen. (See red arrows. Click on the above image for a larger view.) If the # sign is missing, insert it manually.

You'll now be able to follow the party messages easily.

6. When you wish to tweet, type your message into the white text box at the top of the page (see red arrows above). TweetGrid will automatically append the hashtags #LCB #AMSAFARI to all of your tweets so you don't have to.

Remember, in order to be eligible to win the door prizes you must append #LCB #AMSAFARI to all of your tweets.




Attend Via Twitter

1. Go to Twitter.com a few minutes before the party begins at 7pm EST (4pm Pacific).

2. Log in to your Twitter account, or register for an account if you don't already have one. (See the sign in panel above, circled in red.)

3. Type the party's hashtags — #LCB #AMSAFARI — into the search box at the top of the page (circled in read in the above image, click for larger image).

4. Once you've entered the hashtags and have hit "return," click where it says "Save this search" (see the red arrow).


5. Go back to the Twitter home page and click where it says "Searches" (circled in red above). You'll see the #LCB #AMSAFARI search that you saved. This will make it easier for you to quickly refresh messages during the party.


6. This is how your screen should look if you're using Twitter to attend the party. All messages with the hashtags #LCB and #AMSAFARI should show up in your message window.

7. To respond to a tweet or send a tweet, type in the "What's happening?" box... just be sure to append #LCB #AMSAFARI to all your tweets so they appear in the party stream! You're only eligible to win a door prize if you append those hashtags!



Attend the Party Via This Blog
For Those Who Don't Tweet


For those of you who don't "tweet," you can still take part in the Luxury Cruise Bible / American Safari Cruises party. Just return to the Luxury Cruise Bible blog at 7pm EST (4pm Pacific) on Tuesday, March 22nd, and read the blog post devoted to the party.

You won't have access to the real-time Twitter messages, but you'll see information about American Safari Cruises, their new Hawaiian Islands itinerary, photos and videos, and links to articles about small ship cruising.

Answer the posted questions via the "Comment" button for your chance to win a Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader or one of six Frommer's Hawaii 2011 guidebooks by Jeanette Foster.

If you have any questions about the Twitter party, let me know.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Win a Cunard Vacation from The Luxury Cruise Company

The Luxury Cruise Company (formerly White Star Cruises) is running a contest and the prize is a Cunard cruise. Here are the details:

"Win a luxury Cunard cruise for two people with White Star Cruises. Simply tell us your thoughts about any recent luxury cruises you've taken and whether you'd recommend White Star Cruises VIPs to follow in your wake by submitting a luxury cruise review.

The prize is a short round-trip cruise from Southampton on one of Cunard's 5-star liners, departing in 2012 and worth in excess of £2,000. The competition closes on 31 December 2011, so you have plenty of time to add multiple reviews to increase your chance of winning.

The winner will be picked on the number of votes, tweets and likes as well as on the views of our representatives on the White Star Cruises Judges panel. The winner will be announced in January 2012 and notified by email."
 Sharpen those pencils, write your review, and enter to win. Good luck!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Thursday, March 17, 2011

A Look at How Azamara Quest Handled the Crisis in Japan

Arnie Weissmann, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly, was aboard Azamara Quest in Nagasaki, Japan, when the earthquake and tsunami hit northern Japan. He wrote an excellent and detailed account of how the ship's captain and executive officers handled the crisis along with Azamara's home office.

As Nagasaki is in the southern part of Japan, the ship was never in danger and no passengers or crew were injured.

Read Arnie's minute-by-minute account aboard Azamara Quest here.

And here's his dispatch from March 14 about complications at sea during the crisis. Excellent reading!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Four Seasons Explorer in the Maldives

Have you traveled to the Maldives? That's one place that's still on my must-visit list. There are two Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives—Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru—and they also offer cruises aboard their yacht, the Four Seasons Explorer.

Now this is one cruise I'd love to take!




—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Video courtesy of Four Seasons




We're bringing clean water to a village in 2011.
Learn more about our clean water project.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Crystal Cruises Cancels November 2011 Call in Libya

Due to the recent turn of events in Libya, Crystal Cruises will cancel its call in Tripoli and revert to the original itinerary set for its November 16 “Italian Splendor” European cruise from Venice to Barcelona.

The 11-day itinerary through the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas aboard Crystal Serenity will feature a maiden call in Koper, Slovenia, in addition to visits to Dubrovnik, Catania, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno and overnight stays in Venice and Barcelona.

“When Libya relaxed its visa restrictions, we were very excited to offer this exotic call to our fall cruise collection,” said Gregg Michel, Crystal’s president. “Fortunately, we can very easily replace the revised program with our original itinerary, which is rich in European culture, history, and scenery.”

With Crystal’s fall sale, the “Italian Splendor” cruise starts at $4,970 per person, double occupancy. Crystal’s pricing offers free round-trip air transportation from more than two dozen North American gateways (or air credits), $2,000 per couple “All Inclusive – As You Wish shipboard spending credits. A Bring-a-Friend and Crystal Family Memories programs provide bonus savings.

For more information, contact your travel agent or Crystal Cruises at (888) 799-4625.





We're bringing clean water to a village in 2011.
Learn more about our clean water project.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Windstar Offering Up to $1,000 Shipboard Credit for Mediterranean Voyages

Windstar Cruises has launched what it's calling its "Glitter & Glam" Western Mediterranean voyages and new bookings made now through March 31, 2011 will receive a shipboard credit of u to $1,000.

Windstar’s Selected Glitter & Glam Sailings

7-Day Lisbon to Barcelona voyage on Wind Surf departs April 17, 2011 and visits Tangier, Morocco; Malaga, Spain; Almeria, Spain; Cartagena, Spain; and Ibiza, Spain. Special fares from $2,299 per person, double occupancy.

7-Day Barcelona to Rome voyages on Wind Surf departing April 24 and May 8, 2011, and visits Palma de Mallorca, Spain; St. Tropez, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Portofino, Italy; and Livorno, Italy. Special fares from $2,199 per person, double occupancy on the April 24, 2011, sailing and from $2,499 per person, double occupancy on the May 8, 2011.

7-Day Barcelona to Rome voyage on Wind Spirit departing April 30, 2011 and on Wind Star departing May 7, 2011, visiting Mahon, Menorca, Spain; St. Tropez, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Portofino, Italy; and Livorno Italy. Special fares from $2,399 per person, double occupancy.

7-Day Athens to Venice on Wind Star departing July 16, 2011, and visiting Monemvasia, Greece; Pylos, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Trogir, Croatia; and Pula, Croatia. Special fares from $2,999 per person double, double occupancy.

7-Day Venice to Athens on Wind Star departing July 30, 2011, and visiting Pula, Croatia; Trogir, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Pylos, Greece; and Monemvasia, Greece. Special fares from $2,999 per person, double occupancy.

Rates listed are per person, US dollars, cruise only, and include non-discountable amounts. Shipboard credit offer is $600 ($300 per person, maximum $600 per stateroom) for Category B and A staterooms and $1,000 ($500 per person, maximum $1,000 Wind Surf only) for suites. Taxes ($35-$300 per person) are additional. New bookings only.

Offer expires March 31, 2011. Offer may not be combinable with any other pricing or shipboard credit offers. Shipboard credit may not be used towards gratuities or casino, has no cash value, and unused portions will be forfeited at the end of the cruise. Offer is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn or modified at Windstar’s discretion at any time. Cancellation penalties may apply, please see brochure for details. Certain restrictions apply.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo of
Wind Surf © Andrea M. Rotondo



We're bringing clean water to a village in 2011.
Learn more about our clean water project.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Register for Online Cruise Party & Win!

This year Luxury Cruise Bible is hosting a series of online parties with our favorite cruise lines. The parties will be held right here on this blog and at Twitter.

American Safari Cruises is co-hosting our first party on...

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
7 pm Eastern Time

(6 Central | 5 Mountain | 4 Pacific)

We're looking forward to chatting with all of you and giving away some very cool prizes. You'll learn about American Safari Cruises and its yacht vacations in Hawaii, Mexico, and Alaska.

Prizes!



Participants may win one of six Frommers Hawaii 2011 guidebooks by Jeanette Foster or a Barnes & Noble Wi-Fi-enabled Nook ereader! (Prizes can only be shipped to addresses in the United States or Canada.)

There are two ways to "attend" the party: on Twitter and right here at this blog.

Option 1: Attend the Party on Twitter.com
March 22, 2011 at 7 pm EST

This party will primarily take place on Twitter, but we're adding a blog portion for all of you who'd prefer not to join a social networking site.

If you do belong to Twitter, I strongly encourage you to attend the party in real-time. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Here's what you need to do:
  1. RSVP for the party by commenting on this blog post. You must RSVP if you want to be eligible to win a prize!

  2. Go to Twitter.com on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 pm EST and log in. (If you don't already have an account, click on the "Sign Up" button and register.

  3. Make sure you follow @LuxCruiseBible and @AmericanSafari.

  4. Click on this link to bring you to the party's homepage. (You'll want to follow all messages with the tags #LCB and #AMSAFARI.)

  5. The party will begin promptly at 7:00 pm EST on Tuesday, March 22nd. Watch for the six questions of the evening.

  6. Tweet your answer to each question and include the tags #LCB and #AMSAFARI for a chance to win a cool prize. (Your tweet would look like this: "This is the first Twitter party I've ever attended. #LCB #AMSAFARI")

  7. Remember to append the tags #LCB #AMSAFARI to all tweets you send during the party. Tweets without those tags are NOT eligible to win a prize! (The tags allow us to see everyone who's "attending" the party on Twitter.)

Option 2: Attend the Party at the Luxury Cruise Bible Blog
March 22, 2011 at 7 pm EST

Have no fear! You don't need to join Twitter to take part in our party. I'll also be posting to this blog during the party. You'll miss all the person-to-person discussion between party-goers, but you will still have access to all of the questions of the evening along with links to photos, videos, and American Safari cruise-related stories.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. RSVP for the party by commenting on this blog post. You must RSVP if you want to be eligible to win a prize!

  2. Watch for the six questions of the evening by returning to the Luxury Cruise Bible blog at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, March 22, 2011.

  3. Comment on the party post on March 22nd between 7–8 pm EST with your answer to the six questions of the day for a chance to win a cool prize. (You need to sign in with your email address. It will not be posted online but will be available to me when I need to contact you if you win.)

Mark Your Calendar & Attend the Party!
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 22 at 7 pm EST (6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, 4pm Pacific). This party is going to be a lot of fun and if you've ever wondered what an American Safari yacht vacation is like, we'll answer all your questions. Join us!

You can find more Twitter party tips here.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo courtesy of American Safari Cruises
Prize guidebooks courtesy of Frommers. You may purchase a copy of Jeanette Foster's Frommers Hawaii 2011 here.
Nook prize courtesy of LuxuryCruiseBible.com



We're bringing clean water to a village in 2011.
Learn more about our clean water project.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Enter ISLANDS Magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest

One of the reasons I love blogging about cruise travel is because so many readers email me about their getaways. These sidebar conversations are always a joy and many of you have also shared your vacation photos with me. That's why I know there are some very talented amateur photographers among us!

If you fall into the shutterbug camp, don't forget to enter ISLANDS magazine's 22nd annual photo contest by April 15, 2011.

The grand prize is a seven-night Paul Gauguin Cruises Tahitian voyage (including airfare from Los Angeles). Additional prizes are courtesy of the following companies:


Enter today and let me know if you win!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photos courtesy of ISLANDS magazine




We're bringing clean water to a village in 2011.
Learn more about our clean water project.

We're 73% of the way to our goal of $5,000!
We've raised $3,655 and need $1,345 more by March 31, 2011.

Consider making a small donation to improve the
lives of 250 men, women, and children in an undeveloped country.

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