Cruise Reviews, Ship Reviews by The Avid Cruiser

A world cruise. At first, the idea seems viscerally decadent, conjuring images of bejeweled formal nights, exceedingly long sessions of bridge, day following day at sea, one gourmet meal blurring lazily into the other — and not to mention, super expensive for a luxurious journey of up to four months.

But as with so much about cruising, the image of world cruising is far removed from the reality.

For starters, world cruises are becoming much more affordable. For example: Book an inside cabin on Holland America Line’s 2009 world cruise for $24,508. Think of it: a full world cruise that circumnavigates the globe, visiting 39 ports on five continents, for less than $200 per day. You’d pay more than that for a stay at a resort — that doesn’t move.

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Click here to read the summer issue of Avid Cruiser magazine in digital format.

The digital issue is GREEN, immediate, up-to-date, portable, features embedded video, spans 100 pages and has no international borders. Anyone, anywhere, can read it, print it, pass it along and archive it for future reference.

To get the most from your experience, just click on this link, flip through the magazine or use the “toolbar” at the top of the page to navigate the magazine or print articles you want to read at your leisure.

Archives: allows you to access past issues of Avid Cruiser digital edition.

Thumbs: displays small icons of each page in the digital issue so that you can quickly find the article you want to read. Just click on the thumbnail to get to that page.

Print: possibly the most useful feature, allowing you to print the pages you want so that you can curl up on your couch and read.

[Updated and archived on October 9, 2009] Across the luxury cruise segment, suppliers are ordering new ships, marshaling additional capacity for world cruises and gearing up their ships in ways that appeal to those who previously never had the time for extended luxury cruises. Continue Reading »

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Just as the airlines have frequent-flyer programs, the cruise lines have frequent-cruiser programs. In this interview, Victoria Gallegos, a cruise consultant on Regent Seven Seas Voyager, outlines the five tiers of Regent Seven Seas Cruises loyalty program, known as Seven Seas Society. Particularly impressive: Free internet and one hour free phone service after accumulating 21 nights on Regent. 1) Seven Seas Society Member, 4 - 20 nights

* Seven Seas Society cocktail reception
* Access to Seven Seas Society cruises, including exclusive events ashore
* Seven Seas Society savings on select sailings
* Personalized newsletter
* Access to Online Personal Profile
* Communications with advanced access to itineraries and special offers
* Upgrade and referral opportunities on select sailings

2) Silver, 21 - 74 nights

Everything from Seven Seas Society Member tier PLUS the following items
* Complimentary Internet access on board
* One hour complimentary phone time per suite
* Complimentary pressing on formal and/or informal nights (up to two items per 7-night cruise segment)
* Invitation to participate in Seven Seas Society Advisory Board (on select sailings)
* Invitations to exclusive Regent cruise and hotel events in select cities

3) Gold, 75 - 199 nights

Everything from Seven Seas Society member and Silver tiers PLUS the following items
* Priority disembarkation at cruise completion in select ports
* Additional two hours of complimentary phone time per suite
* Choice of newspaper service from around the world
* Complimentary pressing of up to two additional items per 7-night segment
* Complimentary upgrade to hardcover of personalized commemorative album at soft cover price on select voyages
* Exclusive Gold & Platinum activity aboard or ashore on every sailing
* Priority reservations at restaurants and spas

4) Platinum, 200 - 399 nights

Everything from Seven Seas Society Member, Silver and Gold tiers PLUS the following items
* Complimentary air deviation services (one time per sailing)
* Additional six hours of complimentary phone usage per sailing
* Complimentary pressing
* Complimentary laundry services
* Invitation to Customer Advisory Panel (on select sailings)

5) Titanium, 400 + nights

Everything from Seven Seas Society Member, Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers PLUS the following items
* Complimentary transfers to and from your home to the pier (within a 50 mile radius). OR complimentary transfers from the airport to the pier on embarkation and disembarkation day
* Complimentary dry cleaning

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When you spend $23.5 million on something, you want to show it off. That’s just human nature. And that’s just what Crystal Cruises did a few weeks ago for the travel trade and press. The cruise company had doled out that princely sum to upgrade its 12-year-old Crystal Symphony, and they invited us to come take a look.But has the upgrade improved the passenger experience? Crystal Cruises President Gregg Michel thinks so.

I sat down with him during our sailing to talk about how the investment made Crystal Symphony a better ship.

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This is Ralph Grizzle, editor of The Avid Cruiser magazine. Yesterday, I talked about my cruise on SeaDream II, which carries only 110 lucky passengers. After disembarking SeaDream II in Nice, I made my way back to Rome to board Regent Seven Seas Voyager. Continue Reading »