Royal Caribbean Expert

So last year before my Seminar at Sea on the Freedom of the Seas I completed my Bachelor with Royal. This summer I completed my Masters.
So this means I am now an expert on all Royal has to offer. We learn about every single ship in the fleet which means I can recommend the one that best suites your family and feel confident it is the right choice.
We learn about all the destinations that Royal travels as well as the time of year. Again this is so I can help you find the itinerary that suites your families needs. 90% of all cruises are round trip, starting and ending port are the same. The other 10% start at one port and end in another. Amazingly I have heard horror stories of people who have booked their own cruise and did not realize the cruise was one way and booked the flight home from the wrong city.
We learn about the restaurants, entertainment and bars that you can find on each ship. The "only" paid restaurant we did on our trip was Johnny Rockets which is a diner where the wait staff provides the entertainment. They are definitely a few I want ti try out the next time I sail with Royal Caribbean. Hoping to sail on one of the bigger/newer ships this time around.
Bars and lounges very by ship as well, but you will find something for everyone.They also have Broadway at Sea. The Symphony of the Sea will feature Hairspray. You can find Cats on the Oasis of the Sea and many more. The Oasis class ships feature an Aquatheater and many ships have Studio B which offers ice shows as well as opportunity for your guests to skate. Yes you can skate on a ship in the middle of the Caribbean.
For kids they also offer kid friendly venues and programs. Royal Babies is for children 6-18 months. Royal Tots is for 18-36 months. Aquanauts is for children 3-5 years old. Explorers 6-8 years old. Voyagers for 9-11 years old. These programs are suite for each age group. The teens are the divided up with 12-14 years old together and 15-17 years old together.
Royal has so many other adventures to keep people busy with gyms, spas, pools and sports decks with different features on different ships. This is why having a travel agent can make things so much easier to figure out and be prepared before you even board.
Don't hesitate to reach our and let me help you book the cruise getaway that works best for you and your family.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.com

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 1003

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Multi generational Cruising with Royal Caribbean

More and more families are travelling together and I don't mean just mom, dad and kids. My parents have traveled with my brother and I and our families. This December my mom and I are taking my children on a cruise together.
Grandparents usually have more disposable income, so they can often afford more than their children and grandchildren can afford. This does not mean that they can not travel together or that you end up lowering your standards.
Lets take cruising on Royal Caribbean as the perfect example of how everyone can stay where they are comfortable and still spend time together.

Symphony of the Seas (RoyalCaribbean.com)

On the Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas they have Royal class suites which are luxury that are anything but boring.
The Royal class suites have their own private area that only they have access to which means grandma and grandpa can stay in luxury accommodations that they have been accustomed too. Mom and dad and their kids can stay in a balcony room on another deck. You can still have meals together, go on excursions together and spend as much or as little time together as you want.

Royal Suite (RoyalCaribbean.com)

The Royal suite class is divided into three options: Sea, Sky and Star. All Classes have access to L'occitane products, exclusive access to coastal kitchen and pillow top mattresses.
Sea class offers the choice of a Junior suite or a Junior suite with a balcony. The sky class suites also offer concierge service and access to the suite lounge. They offer the choices of a spacious aqua theater suite, crown loft suite, owners suite, grand suite and a grand suite with a balcony. The creme de la creme will be the star class. This class give you access to a Royal Genie who makes special experiences happen and anticipate your every need. You get complimentary deluxe beverages, all day access to the coastal kitchen, spa bathrobes, complimentary mini bar, best seats at all shows and free voom (internet at sea).

Royal Genie (RoyalCaribbean.com)

All of this does not mean that mean that you can not all stay in the same room class or connecting rooms it just means that so many options are available.
Once again looking to navigate booking travel for multiple people and getting the reservations linked is not easy. Want help doing this drop me a line.



Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

2019 Cruise Line Expansion

So 2019 has seven plus one ship scheduled to set sail.
I am sure you are asking what does this plus one mean. The Norwegian Joy will join her sister ship the Bliss in Alaska. Although technically she is not a new ship. She was released in 2017 for the Chinese market. She will be getting a $40 million dry dock overhaul to make her over for the North American market. She will start her season out in Alaska and will sail from the West Coast year round.

Norwegian Joy (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Norwegian Encore will be the second Norwegian ship to market this year with a launch date set for Fall 2019. It is in the last ship in the Breakaway Plus class of ships and will make 17 cruise ships for Norwegian. It will feature an observation lounge. "Experience sheer awe from our 180-degree indoor Observation Lounge - offering Norwegian's most expansive views at sea. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide spectacular vistas while cruising past spectacular seascapes, landscapes and cityscapes. And with a full-service bar, you can toast to colourful sunsets with your favourite cocktail."

Observation Lounge (photo courtesy of ncl.com)

Costa will be bringing the Smeralda to life in October 2019. It is named after a popular tourist destination in Italy. What will be on the ship is being kept a secret it will however be sailing the Western Mediterranean.

 Costa Smeralda (photo courtesy of cruisecritic.com)

The Sky Princess will debut in 2019 for the Princess cruise line and will sail the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. "Crowning the heights of Sky Princess®, each of the ship’s two Sky Suites hosts up to five guests, dazzling you with a 270-degree panorama throughout your voyage. Complementing the exquisitely appointed interior living spaces, a luxuriously furnished 700-square-foot balcony – the largest at sea – invites you to relax privately or host your own celebrations or catered events."

Sky Suite (rendering from Princesscruise.com)

Carnival will have a new ship in 2019 also with the Carnival Panorama. It will be setting sail on the West Coast. Seems like the West Coast is finally getting some love with newer ships. It will be sailing out of Long Beach, California and will have some of Horizon and and Vista as they are it's sister ships but with a West Coast Vibe.

Carnival Panorama (photo courtesy of cruisebuzz.net)

The next ship will be the MSC Bellissima and this ship will also start out in the Mediterranean, They will be featuring Cirque de Soleil on the ship 2 times a night six days a week. MSC has an exclsuive partnership for Cirque de Soleil at Sea.  They will also feature F1 simulators for the Formula One Racing Fan. So much to see and do.

Bellissima (photo courtesy of cruiseweb.com)

The Spectrum of the Sea will be the new Royal Quatum Class ship and will be doing Asian Itineraries. "Discover a Far East adventure full of new feats and firsts on Spectrum of the Seas℠, the first of the Quantum Ultra Class ships. From high-flying virtual reality thrills in the Sky Pad℠ and custom juice drink creations crafted by robots at the Bionic Bar®, to revolutionary Golden Suites accommodations with exclusive amenities like private dining rooms, lounges and a Solarium. Not to mention karaoke performances in your own private 3D cinema in the brand new Ultimate Family Suite."

Last but not least will be the MSC Grandiosa will also be doing the Mediterranean. There are definitely not a lack of itineraries or ports in this area. I am doing my second next year with some ports the same and some different and different cruise line. They will also feature the Cirque de Soleil with 2 shows a night six days a week.

Photo courtesy of CruiseWeb.com

So as you can tell based on my last two blogs we are definitely not lacking in choices of Ships and more to come. I can even tell you new ships scheduled right into the 2020'2. Virgin is hitting the cruise market with the launch of their first ship in 2020.

There is so many places that you can now see and visit from the comfort of a cruise ship. Only having to unpack once.

I am always ready to help you make your next cruise experience as seamless and as magical as possible

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Expanding Cruise Lines

The cruise lines are expanding and each one seems to want to make the biggest ship ever or have the best entertainment on board.
2018 will see new eight new ships. The first out the gate was Royal in March with the Symphony of the Seas currently sailing the Western Caribbean. I must say this family suite is so on my bucket list, which means I am going to have to travel more times in a year.

Ultimate Family Suite (courtesy of rcl.com)

The second to make it to market is the Carnival Horizon in April currently sailing for Bermuda and the Caribbean from NY. There association is with Dr. Seuss so they have created a very kid friendly water park with many famous Dr. Seuss characters.

Dr Seuss Waterworks (courtesy of carnival.com)

The third ship is the Norwegian Bliss that was also released in April and is currently sailing in Alaska. A first at sea with a go-kart track on the ship

racing at sea (courtesy of metro.co.uk)

The fourth ship is the Seabourn Ovation which set sail in May and is currently sailing in Europe, It is an ultra luxury cruise line. They are smaller ship sailing with only 600 passengers and in luxurious accommodations.

Wintergarden Suite (courtesy of seabourn.com)

The fifth ship to launch this year is the MSC Seaview in June sailing the Mediterranean and then it will move to South America. MSC has catered to Europeans but is slowly becoming a North American player in the cruising industry. MSC has a partnership with Lego for their kids club area.

lego play area (courtesy of msc.com)

The sixth ship to launch this year is the Viking Orion in June sailing the Australia and the Mediterranean. This another luxury line with a capacity of only 930 passengers. Viking also happens to be a river cruise company as well. This ship has added a planetarium to their open space.

The Observatory (photo courtesy of cruisecritic.com)

The seventh ship will launch in December and will be the Nieuw Statendam from Holland America. The ship will be based in the Caribbean with alternating itineraries. This ship will have on board cooking shows and hand on workshops. Holland America tends to cater to an older crowd of cruisers.

Spa Inside (courtesy of Holland America.com)

The last ship of 2018 and certainly not the list will be the Celebrity Edge which is set to launch in December as well. It is set to sail in the Caribbean also with alternating itineraries. The highlight of this new ship is the Magic Carpet. "The highlight of our outward-facing vision is the Magic Carpet, an extraordinary venue that changes mood, function, and even its location. This incredible engineering feat is the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level, so you can soar over the open ocean. With breathtaking views, a full bar, and space for live music performances, it truly is a destination itself."

Stateroom with an infinity veranda (celebritycruise.com)

I would like to try a few of these ships I see many more cruise's in my future. Which ship would you chose if you could chose just one? Looking forward to your comments.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Cruise Comparisons

So I have spent time discussing NCL and Royal cruise lines as they are the two that I have personally sailed so far. I have 2 more NCL cruises scheduled and 1 on Celebrity. However today I am going to talk about a mid level cruise line Azamara.
Azamara has more included than the basic lines. I priced out a Mediterranean itinerary sailing September 28, 2019 on the Azamara Journey for twelve days. I will be using it compare to my NCL Epic Mediterranean that I will be sailing on in July 2019 for seven days.
The Azamara Itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 Barcelona Embark
Day 2 St Tropez
Day 3 Monte Carlo
Day 4 Livorno (Florence/Pisa)
Day 5 Civitavecchia (Rome)
Day 6 Sorrento
Day 7 Amalfi
Day 8 At Sea
Day 9 Kotor
Day 10 Dubrovnik
Day 11 Zador
Day 12-13 Venice
An Interior Stateroom for 2 people would cost $11692.00 CAD and you would receive $250 USD per person as on board credit.
With this cruise you have included standard spirits, international beers, 2 red, 2 white, 1 rose and 1 sparkling wine by the glass each day. As well as your juice and pop, coffee and tea. You can purchase drink packages if you would like more.
Gratuities are included in the cruise price so there is no extra to pay unless you want to tip the staff more.
They do have specialty dinning that is not included at 3 restaurants and the packages to add them run between $70 per person and $250 per person.
The last item is internet which is $19.95 per day for unlimited access.
Keep in mind you still have to pay for excursions but they are for smaller groups, part of that is smaller ships as well. You can use your on board credit to pay for these excursions.

Azamara (Photo courtesy of cruisemaven.com)

My cruise in July 2019 will be a seven day on board the NCL Epic
The itinerary is the following:
Day 1 Barcelona Embark
Day 2 At Sea
Day 3 Naples
Day 4 Rome
Day 5 Florence/Pisa
Day 6 Cannes
Day 7 Plama de Mallorca
Day 8 Barcelona Disembark
A balcony stateroom for 2 Adults and 2 children is $6664.61 CAD
A beverage package costs $89 usd per day for the ultimate package there are packages for just soda as well. You also have to add an 18% gratuity to this amount as well.
Gratuities are $14.50 USD per person per day.
Specialty dinning has many options on this ship. You can purchase a 3 or more day package to try out different options. A 3 day package is $69 USD per person.
Unlimited internet is $25.50 USD per day.

NCL Epic (photo courtesy of ncl.com)

If you add in the drink package and the gratuities the NCL package gets closer to $8517 CAD. Now in my case as it is a group booking I had the opportunity to add two inclusions to my package and I chose the drink package and the gratuities as my options. Not everyone has these options available. 

So for more money you can cruise on a smaller ship a more intimate ship and have more included in the over all price. Your ship will be less crowded. Now keep in mind that these smaller more luxurious ships are not as kid friendly as the bigger mass ships are. They do have children's clubs etc but there are usually not many children on board.

Azamara also offers ports that the bigger ships can not always get to which is nice if you decide cruising is the only way you wish to travel. They also offer overnights in port so you can get the opportunity to explore a cities nightlife not just what it is like during the day.

To book either of these cruises of any cruise contact me today!!

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area

Freedom of the Seas - Naples

So here we are at Day 5 and in the port of Naples. This was another full day in port with us arriving at 7:00 am and the all on board scheduled for 10:30 pm. The cruise compass has daily activities and specials for spas/drinks etc that you may be interested in. So much you can take in at this port with Pompeii, Mt Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast and Capri so close.
Of course being the President's cruise their was of course an excursion with him. This one was the Bourbon Tunnel & Naples Sights with Michael Bayley. Some of the other tours are the following: Exclusive Amalfi Coast, Postiano, Sorrento & Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii, Island of Capri, Naples City Sights, From Lemons to Liqueurs and Sorrento with Pizza Making for Families.
My mom was in so much pain that she decided to spend the day on the ship. We had scheduled the Taste of Sorrento & Pompeii (small group). So while she stayed on the ship I decided to go on the excursion which was eight hours. I am very thankful that the other people on this tour were very friendly and I never really felt alone.

 this port is populated so easy to go and explore

 On the way to Sorrento everything is built up the mountain

a view of the bay as we were winding ourselves up narrow roads

We started with a tour of a Sorrento farmhouse which was an old monastery. It is now a hotel/farm. The winding road to get to the top of the mountain were an experience in themselves. The roads in Italy are very narrow and if you suffer from Vertigo I definitely do not recommend this excursion. I do suffer from a fear of heights put happened to be on the right side of the bus to not have it bother me too much. When we got to our destination we were treated to a demonstration on how to make fresh cheese. We then got to try fresh cheese, bread, olive oil, meat and wine. The farms was full of lemons, olives, walnuts and animals. I bought a bottle of olive oil and a small bottle of leminocello.

 statue at the monastery

 making fresh cheese

 the plate of food we got to try

 they put these nets up to catch the olives as they ripen and the lemons

 walnuts waiting to be roasted

Outside the farmhouse

On our way back down from our stop at the farmhouse we stopped at a Lemonicello factory. As I had already bought some at the farmhouse I ended up buying chocolate. It was pretty good chocolate too. We then it made it the rest of the way down to the village of Sorrento where we had about an hour of free time. I wondered trough the shops buying some Sorrento ornaments featuring the lemon for myself and my mother and a a lovely scarf for myself.

this is the lovely wood shop we met at

Once we finished our free time we boarded back onto the bus to head to our tour of Pompeii. The ruins of Pompeii cover so much land. What is fascinating is how much ended up preserved after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius covered the town. Our tour was special as we had virtual reality sets. At certain spots we able to stop and see what life was like before the eruption based on the ruins. It was a very unique experience. It made the ruins come to life. I would recommend this tour.

 a body that was preserved by the ashes

Once we were done we headed back to the ship. It was a very long day but so worth it. I am glad I went ahead on my own.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area

Freedom of the Seas - Civitavecchia (Rome)

Day Four of our cruise found us in the port of Civitavecchia which is an hour and half drive from Rome. Once again there were many excursions to chose from. The Presidents excursion was a visit to the Pope's private apartment & summer estate, Colosseum visit & lunch at the cost of $489 USD per person.
Here is a list of the other excursions that were available for this port. Also to keep in mind that the excursions can change depending on the time of year. The list this time is as follows: Exclusive, Best of Rome, Rome, The Eternal City, Pope's Summer Residence, Vatican Museum & St. Peter's Basilica, Imperial Rome & Colosseum Arena, Imperial Rome, Discover Renaissance Rome,  Roman sightseeing by Ape Calessino, Taste of Rome for families, A Taste of Rome, Rome City Sights, A Taste of Rome (small Group), Rome in a day, Passage to Rome, Navigate through Rome, Rome on your own, train transfer by Roma express, Italian Beach transfer, accessible panoramic Rome and last but not least Italian countryside and olive oil taste.
Once again because of my mom we chose the Rome city sites which was a guided bus tour with 45 minutes in St Peter's Square.It is an hour and half each way to Rome.

Views on the drive to Rome

A church

 Statue

 Vatican

 My mom at the Vatican

 Me at the Vatican

 Pigeons

Coliseum

We saw many of the bug sites however you can not see the Trevi Fountain from the bus because they are no longer allowed to go down where it is. We stopped at the Vatican where we could tour the grounds outside. Unfortunately a tour inside was out of the question in that amount of time. This is where VIP tours come in handy. With this tour we got back to he ship earlier which allowed us a bit of a break in the afternoon before dinner.

Some tours were longer as this was a longer stay in port

Where you can find me:

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Freedom of the Seas - La Spezia (Portovenere & Cinque Terre)

So we got off the ship in La Spezia and boarded a tour bus for our first stop Portovenere. My mom was still in a lot of pain but she figured she could manage. The tour guide was great on the bus drive explaining how La Spezia was very much a military area. There was lots of construction of bases etc that has been going on since the Napoleon era.
When we arrived at the village the bus let us off at the top of a hill they can not drive in the village at all. So we had to walk down. The tour guide equipped us with earphones and equipment so we can listen to what she said while we walked. They do not have to scream over the crowds. All the tours seem to have gone this route. At least the English speaking one's. The German tours we ran into were still shouting to be heard.
The tour guide took everyone on a tour of the town and they got a free pesto taste testing mom was in so much pain that she decided to rest on a bench. I toured around a bit on my own. When the short tour was over everyone had free time until we had to meet at the ferry.

 A view of the church

 A view of the hotel

 Outside one of the restaurants

 Frogs (my favourite)

 Fresh local catch (it comes in everyday)

the small beach (very rocky)

When our free time was over we headed over to catch the ferry. So the Ferry starts in Portovenere and headed to Riomaggiore where it stopped and let people off and more people on. They do not even turn the boat off they load from the front of the boat. The next stop was Manarola, then Cornoglia, then Vernazza and last stop was Monterosso where we got off the ferry. 

We once again were given a tour of the small village. We also got to do a white wine tasting. We were then given free time again. This time we decided that we would have lunch. There were so many choices of pasta, mussels and pizza but we wanted something not to heavy. So we had the most amazing Bruschetta that I have ever had. There was so much that could be done in the village and we did not have the time to see it all and mom was still very sore and having difficulty walking.

 The villages are built up the side of the cliffs and each village is different colours

 It's amazing to see the gardens growing the way they do

 The beach there was a few brave souls checking it out

 Church in the town square

 The local wine we got to taste (it was quite lovely)

 Taking a selfie at lunch

 Picture of Mom

 My fresh Bruschetta plate

(fresh tomato, mushroom and olive oil)

Train

So when we were done exploring on our own we headed up a hill through a tunnel and down a cobblestone road for about 1 km to the train station. These villages have very narrow streets and sidewalks and cars are very limited. Most people get around with the Ferry's and by train.The train ride was a quick 10-15 minutes and we got off and headed to our bus where we took the highway to get back to the ship.

Some of the scenery from the bus ride.

It amazing to see the villages built up so high in the hills. All of them seem to have churches. The olive trees where all along the coast. 

This was another really long day and we made it back to the ship with no delay's however my mother's pain was not getting any better and she was taking a lot of pain killers to make it through the day. This definitely fulfilled my bucket list. I do wish I could have stopped and explored in every village and had some local mussels but we don't always get everything.

The next port is Civitavecchia (Rome).

Here's where you can find me:

www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

www.exclsuivetoyoutravel.com or www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

slough@exclsuivetoyoutravel.com