Lindblad Adds Undersea Divers to Alaska Itineraries

Lindblad Expeditions came up with an incredibly cool addition to its 2012 Alaska voyages—an "Undersea Specialist."


Each Lindblad ship already carries three naturalists, an expedition leader, and a Lindblad-National Geographic-certified photo instructor. The Undersea Specialist will join this team to provide an additional facet to cruises in Alaska.


What will this specialist actually do on each cruise? He or she will dive 40 to 80 feet below the surface to take high-definition photos of what lies beneath the ship. The images and video will be showcased during presentations throughout the cruise.


According to Lindblad, images will range from "...the tiniest organisms on the sea floor to giant octopi, to hulking sea lions to the whales that passengers see majestically breaching the surface." This is a very cool development! I'm just glad no one's asking me to dive the chilly Alaskan waters!


Lindblad will offer 8-night (Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness) and 12-night (Alaska, British Columbia, and San Juan Islands) voyages from May–September 2012 aboard the 62-passenger ships, National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion.


Book Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness by March 31, 2012 and you'll receive free roundtrip air between Seattle and Alaska on select May and June departures. Rates for this itinerary start at $5,990 per person based on double occupancy for a Category 1 cabin, and $7,690 for the Alaska, British Columbia, and San Juan Islands cruise.


Lindblad's been sailing Alaskan waters for 30 years, so they really know what they're doing in this region. I love the addition of the Undersea Specialist to its itineraries and hope to explore with the company soon.


For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Lindblad at 1-(800)-EXPEDITION.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for Luxury Cruise Bible

What Luxury Cruise Lines Should Say to Lure Younger Travelers

It's been five years since I first set foot on a luxury cruise ship. I was still in my thirties then and was struck by the fact that my husband and I were the youngest travelers on board the ship. We couldn't understand why.

The itinerary was fantastic—visiting unusual ports of call—and the value was clear. We enjoyed a spacious, well-designed suite, attentive service, inclusive food and wine, and a cadre of entertainment options for less than a comparable vacation at a five-star resort on land.

Since that first experience, we've been on dozens of luxury cruise ships and yachts and we're still often among the youngest cruises aboard. All the cruise lines are reaching out to a younger crowd, and here's what they need to be saying to all those professional thirty- and forty-something's who've yet to set sail...

Our itineraries fit perfectly within the structure of your vacation time. Many luxury lines are now offering more 7-, 8-, and 9-night sailings. This makes it easier for a young professional to commit without tapping out his or her allotted vacation time. SeaDream Yacht Club has excellent offers in this regard as does Azamara Club Cruises.

We go to the destinations you want to visit. From close-to-home regions, like the Caribbean and Mediterranean, to more exotic locales such as French Polynesia and Southeast Asia, luxury cruise lines program compelling itineraries all over the world. Cruises enable the traveler to sample many ports across a region in a relatively short amount of time. For the Caribbean, thirty-somethings should check out Windstar Cruises, Compagnie Du Ponant Yacht Cruises offers excellent options in the Med, Paul Gauguin Cruises is the way to go in French Poly, and Crystal Cruises is excellent for Asia.

We offer active expeditions and wildlife-centric adventures. People often joke that cruises are for the newly wed and nearly dead, but that's just not true. More and more companies are offering expeditions that offer active adventures including hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, and more. American Safari Cruises, part of InnerSea Discoveries, has excellent itineraries in Alaska's Inside Passage, Mexico's Sea of Cortes, the Hawaiian Islands, and more. Australia outfit, Orion Expedition Cruises, hits far-flung destinations like Borneo, Papua New Guinea, and Micronesia. And, of course, Silversea's expedition ship, Silver Explorer, is one of the best ways to visit polar bears in the Arctic.

No matter what your age, consider sailing with a luxury cruise line in 2012. It's one of the best vacation values available these days.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for Luxury Cruise Bible

Photo © Leonard Hospidor

Luxury Cruise Bible’s Gift Guide for Cruise Travelers

This time of year, every blogger posts his or her own “gift guide” for the holidays. Here’s my take on fun—and useful—gifts for cruise travelers…


Must-Have Memberships

Global Entry
My best investment of the year was enrolling in Global Entry. This is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows members to speed through Customs when returning to the United States from overseas. Simply apply, pay a $100 fee (which will be refunded if you use your American Express Platinum card), and attend a short interview at your local airport. After that you’ll spend far less time in line when returning from a cruise. In fact, on our last trip from Singapore, we spent a mere 45 seconds at the U.S. Customs kiosk when we returned to Newark Liberty Airport!

MedjetAssist
I’ve renewed my annual MedjetAssist membership every year for the past five years. Access to competent global travel assistance and medical evacuation gives me peace of mind at a very affordable price. (I had to medevac my father from Jacksonville to Boston last year and it cost $16,000. How I wish I had gifted him a MedjetAssist membership before he went on that trip.) Annual MedjetAssist memberships start at $250 and short-term memberships start at $95. This is the perfect gift for a loved one who travels.

InterContinental Ambassador Membership
We find this annual membership quite useful since we often stay at InterContinental hotels pre- and post-cruise. Benefits include guaranteed room upgrades (no matter what rate code you book), fresh fruit and mineral water upon arrival, one complimentary weekend night (buy one, get one), 4pm late check-out, complimentary pay TV film per stay, instant check-out, and a bonus points “accelerator” (earn 20,000 bonus points for every 15 qualifying nights). Ambassador membership costs $200 per year (or 32,000 Priority Club points).




Just for Fun

Scratch-Off Map of the World
I’ve already ordered a bunch of these from Uncommon Goods for my friends with wanderlust. This 32-by-22-inch world map has a “scratch off” component so you can scratch off the areas you’ve visited in order to “color in” the globe. I've never seen this particular item in stores before so I thought it would make for an unusual stocking-stuffer. $24

Vintage Cruise Ship Posters
Art.com has a nice selection of vintage-style cruise ship posters. I’ve got several of these in my office and they look fantastic.

Cruise Ship Ornament from Kyle Design
This is a nice-looking two-sided, engravable holiday ornament with a cruise-ship motif. This would be a great way to invite a loved-one on a Christmas cruise! $19.95




Cruise-Inspired Jewelry

Sextant Pendant from Dolphin Designs
This sextant pendant with an 18-inch box chain can be made with a variety of semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli (shown), amethyst, turquoise, amazonite, malachite, aventurine, rose quartz, mother of pearl, onyx, and jade. $113.99

Propeller Cuff Links from Cuff Daddy
These three-blade propeller cuff links come in a variety of finishes, including sterling silver and gold. $28.99–$119.00

Have you stumbled upon any cool gifts for cruise travelers? Let me know! I've got many of them on my holiday shopping list this year!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for Luxury Cruise Bible

Pandaw River Cruises Pulls Out of Borneo

The latest newsletter from Pandaw River Cruises announces that its ship, Orient Pandaw, will leave Borneo as of March 2012. This is sad news. Borneo is a rich vacation destination with the key draw being the island's orangutan population. Traveling the rivers, as Leonard and I did last month with Orion Expedition Cruises, is an excellent way to see how the Indonesians and Malaysians live and to get as close as possible to the animals, which include the red ape, proboscis monkey, macaques, Borneo bearded pigs, crocodiles, kingfishers, and more.


Here's what Pandaw had to say about its departure from Borneo:

It is with immense sadness that we are pulling out of this fascinating destination. The logistical and operational difficulties of working in so tough an environment have made the project commercially unsuccessful. Despite these challenges the Pandaw Borneo team have a well-run operation and levels of comfort and service on board up to top Pandaw standards. The river and jungle really are amazing and a must for keen river explorers.

There is still some space left between now and March and we highly recommend a stop off in Kuching and even a trip to the Mulu Caves. Visit Pandaw.com for further details.

Despite the challenges of the region (shallow rivers making travel by boat difficult during low tide, the heat and humidity, and availability of Western-style amenities on land), I highly urge you to get to Borneo soon. The people are endearing and the opportunity for animal sightings is amazing!


I'm sorry to see Pandaw leave the region, but hope Orion Expedition Cruises makes a go of it from this point forward.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

$1,000 SeaDream Credit for Just $500

Sniqueaway, a flash sale site, is currently offering a $1,000 SeaDream credit for just $500.


This credit may be used on one of two cruises:

SeaDream I: 6-Night Caribbean Cruise | Departs December 11, 2011

St. John’s, Antigua -> Gustavia, St. Barts -> Marigot, St. Martin -> Sandy Ground, Anguilla -> Soper’s Hole, Tortola -> Great Harbour, Peter Island -> Jost Van Dyke -> San Juan, Puerto Rico

SeaDream II: 7-Night Caribbean Cruise | Departs December 16, 2011

San Juan, Puerto Rico -> Culebrita Island -> Esperanza, Vieques Island -> Sandy Ground, Anguilla -> Gustavia, St. Barts -> Norman Island -> Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda -> Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Each person can purchase one voucher and a total of two vouchers can be used per stateroom (based on double occupancy). This is an excellent deal if you have time for a quick getaway before the holidays! Act fast because this deal expires in three days.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I wish you and your family the best of everything as we kick off this holiday season! Have a fantastic day, whether you're at sea or on land!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com