Cruising’s advantage over theme park magic

Posted on 28 January, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

I had the chance last week to spend some time at a Central Florida theme park, one of the cruise industry’s competitors for the vacation dollar.

Universal Studios Orlando offers a formidable array of attractions, including an evening entertainment complex, three luxury hotels with a budget-priced resort in the wings and a pair of theme parks chock full of roller coasters, rides and faithful backlot reproductions of New York, San Francisco and even Homer Simpson’s hometown, Springfield.

The latest project at Universal is a re-creation of London for an attraction devoted to literary wizard Harry Potter. Sometime this summer The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley will open, bringing the Wyndham Theater and other landmarks of the city to more than 6 million Universal Studios visitors annually.

Cruise lines have one crucial edge in the competition. While theme parks must re-create the world in Central Florida, cruise ships can actually bring guests to all of the fascinating destinations that can only be represented at land-based parks. *TomStieghorst

It seems almost too obvious to mention, but “destination” sometimes gets lost in the cruise industry’s sales initiatives.

One of Wizarding World’s marvels will be a train, the Hogwarts Express, running between the new attraction in Universal Studios and the original Harry Potter theme area in the adjacent Islands of Adventure park.

Although Universal is withholding details, executives hint that the train will have video screens instead of windows to project images of London and the British countryside on the journey from Diagon Alley to the imaginary Hogsmeade village in Scotland. It will be exciting to see, and I’ll look forward to it as much as the next theme park fan. But on a cruise excursion one could see the real thing in all of its glory. That has to trump seeing the facsimile in Orlando, no matter how clever the reproduction.

The same applies to the themed re-creations of France, China and Morocco in Walt Disney World’s Epcot or the Bavarian beer hall at Busch Gardens in Tampa. How much better to drink some locally brewed beer in Hamburg, or see the quays of Shanghai from the deck of a cruise ship.

Orlando has its advantages, too. Plenty of people who struggle to afford going abroad can see a version of distant lands there. But cruises can take guests to the real thing, and that’s a selling point agents ought to play up.

Carnival unveils big-name musical acts for concert series

Posted on 23 January, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Arnie Weissmann

“American Idol” and “Dreamgirls” star Jennifer Hudson joined Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Gerry Cahill on stage to make the point that Carnival is serious about bringing big-name artists to the stages of its ships.

In April, Carnival will launch an experience branded “Carnival LIVE” featuring live performances by artists including Hudson, Chicago, Styx, .38 Special, Foreigner, Gavin DeGraw, Jewel, Kansas, LeAnn Rimes, Olivia Newton-John, REO Speedwagon, Lady Antebellum, Daughtry, Martina McBride and Trace Adkins.

The artists will join ships at homeports in Cozumel, Nassau and Catalina Island, playing the last night of one cruise and the first night of the next. The performers will be in the main show lounge, and will not be sailing.

The shows will not be included in the fare; tickets will cost $20 to $40, and can be purchased in advance through the line’s web-based shore excursion system, or onboard at the shore excursion desk, if available.

VIP tickets, selling for $100 to $150 each, will include a meet-and-greet with photo opportunities, a laminated concert pass and seating in the first three rows.

Carnival introduces price guarantee for shore excursions

Posted on 16 January, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Cruise Lines is offering a best-price guarantee on its shore excursions.

Carnival said the guarantee is unprecedented and is available now fleet-wide.

Guests who find the same tour offered by another operator at a lower price than their booked excursion (before or during their cruise) can complete a claim form to receive 110% of the difference in the form of a shipboard credit.

Claims are typically processed within 24 to 48 hours, Carnival said.

Mico Cascais, Carnival’s vice president of tour operations, said the guarantee was developed based on research findings that passengers, particularly first-time cruisers, are concerned about whether they are getting the best deal.

Companies that represent excursion operators independent of the cruise lines say they can offer better prices because they work on lower markups. In many cases, passengers can buy excursions directly from excursion operators.

Carnival said that by booking through the cruise line, passengers get tickets delivered to their staterooms and “an assurance that they will receive a refund or the excursion time will be adjusted as needed based on weather or other issues affecting a ship’s scheduled port of call visit.”

To file a claim, Carnival said passengers should provide the name of the competitor offering the comparable tour, the excursion name, where the tour was advertised, the duration, price and any included items such as lunch, drinks, transportation and admission fees.