Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

As we begin our third year as a Cruise Holidays franchise owner, we want to say “Thank You” to our loyal customers who have virtually followed us to our new location.   Meanwhile, we are adding new customers and finding new friends.   I have always loved the leisure travel business.   I completed my travel certification in 1995 and worked part time in the travel trade. After my early retirement from Qwest in 2002, I joined the staff at Cruise Holidays of Bellevue.   After working in the store for eight years, I made the transition to Cruise Holidays franchise owner in February of 2010.   As a “virtual office” agency, I can manage my business from anywhere. Garry has retired from his previous line of work (project management) and has joined me, full time, in our travel business.   He is supporting our agency in marketing and travel research. Garry is working to become an “Accredited Cruise Counselor” – he should earn his credentials by early spri...

Information is extracted from Cruise Holidays annual survey of agents.   No real surprises listed, but interesting survey results from the past few years: 2011 ·         Onboard credits offered by cruise lines through travel agents are the most popular cruise booking incentive, according to Cruise Holidays. ·         The Disney Dream was the most anticipated new ship of 2011, according to Cruise Holidays. ·         Celebrity Cruises’ Silhouette was the 2 nd most anticipated ship of 2011, according to Cruise Holidays. ·         Oceania Cruises’ Marina was the 3 rd most anticipated ship of 2011, according to Cruise Holidays. ·         The top cruise destination booked in 2010 for 2011by Cruise Holidays was the Caribbean. ·         The 2 ...

The nomenclature of Caribbean Islands can be a little confusing: just what are the Antilles , and why are some Greater and some Lesser? Exactly which islands are in each grouping? And, which ones can you visit on a cruise? Collectively, the islands of the Caribbean are known as the West Indies . They can be sorted into three groups by location: the Bahamas (which some people consider too far north to qualify as true Caribbean Islands ); the Greater Antilles; and the Lesser Antilles . The Greater Antilles include Cuba , Hispaniola (which is divided into the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic ), Jamaica and Puerto Rico . The Cayman Islands are often included in the Greater Antilles as well, as they are located quite close to Cuba . These larger, older Caribbean islands are generally made of continental rock. The Caymans and Jamaica are popular cruise destinations, while Puerto Rico is a starting and ending point for many Caribbean itineraries, offering opportunit...

In November, aboard the ms Eurodam on the Cruise Holidays annual convention, we completed the 5K walk for Breast Cancer.  It was fun and we both finished!   Notice the calm seas and the brilliant blue color… Sorry for the poor quaility of photos: they were clipped from the Cruise Holidays newsletter that we received onboard the ship.

Before the victory of Cuba ’s revolutionary forces in 1959, the island nation was a popular vacation destination for Americans. After that, foreign tourism in Cuba was virtually non-existent until the 1990s, when the country once again began to promote itself as an international destination. The largest of the Caribbean islands, Cuba is surprisingly diverse. Havana ’s infrastructure and lodgings may not be what North Americans are used to, but a stroll along the seaside Malecón, or boardwalk, is exhilarating. Many visitors take their time touring Old Havana, which has beautifully restored colonial-era buildings, browsing the Calle Tacón market for keepsakes, and sipping mojitos. In the evenings, clubs come alive with Cuban reggae and rap music, jazz, or salsa dance tunes. Outside the capital city, Cuba has lovely stretches of white sand beach and farm markets overflowing with fresh tropical fruit. There are lovely rural areas to explore, including the mountains and caves of V...

Prior to our November cruise on the ms Eurodam, we spent two days at the Airport Sheraton in Ft Lauderdale.   We were scheduled to attend training classes at the Sheraton prior to our cruise, so it made sense to stay at the same facility and go to the ship with the others in our group. We arrived in Ft Lauderdale on Thursday evening. The hotel provided a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel.   The shuttle arrived within 15 minutes of our call from the baggage area.   Since the hotel is near the southwest corner of the airport property, the ride to the hotel was short. Our hotel room was on the 7 th floor.   We were very close to the airport and I was concerned about noise, but we didn’t hear any noise from the airfield. The hotel is about 4 miles from the pier.   The next morning, we could see funnels on the cruise ships in the harbor from our hotel room. The hotel charged for wired/wireless internet in the rooms, but provided free...

This update on new/refurbished ships for 2012 was sent to us by the corporate office of Cruise Holidays (author unknown).   Read the article -- and remember to follow us on Facebook! "It's the time of year when we naturally think of things new and old, so what better occasion is there to announce what the cruise lines have in store for us in 2012? Next year, seven ships will embark on their maiden voyages for six different cruise lines. Five will be new-builds, and two are existing ships that will be extensively refurbished and renamed. That's not counting the Norwegian Breakaway , which is set to launch in April 2013. Below are some highlights of each ship launching in the next 16 months, First the new-builds: Disney Fantasy, Disney Cruise Line --- March 31, 2012 --- 4,000 passengers Sister-ship to Disney Dream, the 5-star Disney Fantasy is 40% larger than the line's other two ships (Disney Magic and Disney Wonder) and in typical Disney style, off...

It’s been a good year for cruising: the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates a total passenger count of about 16 million aboard its 25 member cruise lines in 2011, up from 15 million last year. And, most ships have been sailing at 100% occupancy. According to CLIA’s research, one of the things that motivates people to take a cruise – in addition to value for their money and positive past cruise experiences – is their interest in new ships. Disney Cruise Line launched a highly anticipated new ship this year, its first in more than a decade. The Disney Dream has a terrific watercoaster called the AquaDuck, redesigned kids’ clubs, and more space dedicated to teens and the electronic games they love. For adults, a new French restaurant, Remy, has received excellent reviews. Oceania Cruises introduced the Marina , which carries up to 1,258 passengers, making it about twice as large as the line’s other ships. Standard staterooms offer numerous amenities and gorgeous...

This story, written by Richard Turen, was published in Travel Weekly, a national newspaper of the travel industry.  I am copying the first paragraph and the link to the remainder of the story.  In my opinion, this is an eye-opening article.  Please read the complete story. I hope and trust that you will book your next vacation with our firm. But we know there are alternatives out there, and we know you are receiving mailings and seeing ads that often urge you to book directly with a travel supplier online... Complete story:   http://www.travelweekly.com/Richard-Turen/To-clients-considering-booking-direct/#.TtZ6wSuikY8.facebook Another link to the story is available on our Facebook page.  Search for "attheta" and become our Facebook friends.