We The People….

It took the airlines quite a while to realize they needed to pay attention to “Passengers”.  Now with what’s happened in the news lately, the cruise lines are making haste to follow right behind.  Here is a list of the what to expect when you are At Sea!

1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided on board, subject only to the master’s concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergencies and evacuation procedures.
6. The right to an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.
7. The right to transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
9. The right to have included on each cruise line’s website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.
10. The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website.

There you have it….don’t you feel better now??  You might want to have a copy of this the next time you sail!

Bon Voyage

Viking Cruises is at it again! First they launched TEN River Cruise ships this year (at the same time) and now they are building their first Ocean Going Vessel.  “There seems to be a big hole in the market that somebody ought to fill”, Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen told guests at the Beverly Hilton Hotel – so he is filling that hole!  This will be an “ALL INCLUSIVE” cruise.  Take a look at what is included:
1. No charge for specialty restaurants
2. Free WiFi
3. FREE excursions
4. Complimentary beer and wine at lunch and dinner

Other “Firsts” for the cruise industry is they will have NO inside or window cabins.  Only Verandas!  and the cabins will be 20% larger than average.  The ship will spend an average of 12 hours in port, and the 10 to 15 day cruises will include only one sea day.  Cruises will also start and end with overnights in the ports of embarkation and debarkation.  I almost forgot – the first ever infinity pool….

Another difference is there will be NO casino.  Instead there will be a piano bar…..No formal nights and NO TIES!  Hagen is emphasizing value and to start the ball rolling they are offering introductory two-for-one prices for a 15-day cruise of Northern Europe starting at $4999 per person with discounted air from $895 per person.  Offer expires July 31, 2013.

So, get ahead of the crowd – and with only ONE ship there will be a crowd –  get your deposit in for a journey of a lifetime.

Bon Voyage!