Oasis of the Seas™

Cruisers enjoy more choices than ever before courtesy of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas. The awe-inspiring Oasis-class vessels, set sail in November as the largest and most revolutionary ship at sea. Boasting 2,700 staterooms and capable of carrying approximately 5,400 passengers, Oasis of the Seas will span 16 different decks and encompasses 220,000 gross-registered tons. And once again, Royal Caribbean has raised the bar when it comes to shipboard innovations.

Royal Caribbean’s Groundbreaking “Neighborhood” Concept… provides its passengers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on personal preferences, styles, and moods. The unveiling of the ships major features – an enormous open –air “Central Park situated in the middle of the vessel (containing actual trees, gardens, and more), Boardwalk (reminiscent of New England’s nostalgic seaside piers and classic amusement parks like Coney Island), Aqua Theatre (Cruising’s first multi-purpose amphitheater), the Vitality At Sea Spa & Fitness Center (boasting the industries’ largest and most comprehensive selection of wellness treatments and facilities), plus an enormous Pool & Sports Zone spanning an entire deck of the ship-has everybody very exited about what to expect from Royal Caribbean next.

Here are just a few of amazing experiences aboard The Oasis of the Sea™

Central Park

· Located mid-ship & open to the sky
· Lush tropical grounds spanning more than the length of a football field
· 3 retail shops & 6 restaurants /bars (alfresco dining plus street performances nightly).

Boardwalk
· 2 rock –climbing walls & a zip line suspended 9 decks above floor level
· 5 retail shops (including a psychic parlor/tattoo parlor & 5 restaurants/bars.

Pool & Sports Zone
· Multiple pools including the H20 Zone, a sports pool & an all new “beach” pool
· 2 FlowRider® surf parks (expanded), miniature golf course, basketball/volleyball courts & much more
· Adult-only Solarium featuring 4 cantilevered whirlpools & the Solarium Bistro(specialty restaurant)

What are you waiting for call today and discover why the most exciting vacations at sea taking place aboard Royal Caribbean’s innovative cruise ships. For families and active cruisers, there’s simply no better option.

Yes! Meeting and sea in the same sentence seems like an odd combination but it works…smoothly! Just about every cruise ship has great meeting spaces for groups of all sizes and even the audio and visual equipment and the internet connectivity (for a fee) is available.

Cruising 2010 And Beyond…
A boat load of new vessels have been delivered to the cruise industry in recent years and a total of eleven will launch in 2010. The cruise industry continues to expand and with all the new ships come new itineraries and departure ports.

This year alone, the new ships will range in size form American cruise Lines 110-passenger Independence to Royal Caribbean international’s second Oasis – class ship, 5,400 passenger Allure of the Seas.

“Many of the ships slated for this year are sister ships and almost identical to other recently launched ships”.

2010 Sister Ships
Costa Deliziosa – In February Costa Deliziosa will be the first cruise ship to be named in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai. She is the sister ship to the Costa Luminosa.
MSC Magnifica – the 93,300 ton, 2550 passenger MSC Magnifica will be in the Mediterranean starting in March. She is the fourth in her class that includes MSC Orchestra, MSC Muscia and MSC Poesia.
Celebrity Eclipse – Sister ship to the highly acclaimed Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, Eclipse will debut this April in Europe.
Seabourn Sojourn – Second Odyssey-Class ship will be christened in June in London, increasing The Yachts of Seabourn’s fleet to five.
ms Nieuw Amsterdam – Sister to ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam will sail the Eastern Mediterranean beginning in July.
Allure of the Seas – in November the Allure will join her sister, the Oasis of the Seas as the newest, largest ships in the world. With their open air neighborhoods and aqua Theatres, these ships have fundamentally changed the industry.

The Future of Cruising
The years ahead are sure to continue this exciting revolution as may familiar brands placed orders for new ships. Disney Cruise Line will debut two new ships in 2011 and 2012 and upper premium brands Oceania will launch their first ship since the company began. Marina will carry 1,258 guests and offer 10 dining venues. Celebrity is scheduled to launch their fourth (yet to be named) Solstice-class ship in 2011. Industry leader Carnival Cruise Lines will launch the Carnival Magic in October 2011 and they announced she will be sailing the Mediterranean roundtrip from Barcelona. Carnival also has a third Dream-class ship to be delivered in spring of 2012.

The cruise industry is like a fine wine and continues to mature and get better with age. Traditional cruisers are very intrigued by the cruise ship classes of 2009 and 2010. And even non-cruisers are jumping into the world of cruise vacations as a cruise really does offer more something for just about everyone and provides cruise travelers with more amenities than a world-class resort all at a great value.

Like most Americans they don’t realize that their regular health insurance may not cover them outside of the United States.

When you set your site on an exciting vacation filled with sun- splashed beaches, it’s not much fun to stop and consider the options that protect you against unforeseen events that may ruin your expensive getaway (not to mention the additional cost). But it’s time for a reality check. Whenever a problem occurs during a trip, it’s almost always you the traveler loses out. You lose either time or money, but most often you lose both.

When we the traveler book our travel plans we are just so excited to get away that we never think of the possibilities that may occur, like illness or accidents. Here are a few of some unforeseen encounters. You paid for your vacation 9 months out and a crisis hits: You’re down-sized out of a job, there’s a death in the family, or some other catastrophe strikes and you’re unable to travel.

Because travelers are always urged to get travelers insurance, they shut down when they hear the word “insurance; but you may get ripped off if you don’t get it. It is an extra cost, but it’s invaluable if you have a problem. When you don’t have it? That’s when it really can get expensive.”

Buying insurance doesn’t guarantee that your trip will be worry free, but it does help alleviate the enormous concerns that can arise when trouble before or during your vacation. For many it’s a small price to pay for Peace of Mind.

Have you ever dreamt of castles on hilltops, open air cafe cobbled stone streets, colorful fishing boats, mystic Cliffside villages, ancient ruins of Mexico, or a steaming volcano in Hawaii, these are but a sample of the possible sites you can see on a cruise.

A cruise is a great way to cover a lot of ground with little wear and tear. Waking up in a new port each day without packing and unpacking, going through airport security, or lugging suitcases can be very appealing. Some added benefit these days is an inclusive cost without worrying about a cruise that covers a broad area will allow you to get a little taste of each city or country so you can see which ones you want to return to on your next trip.

If you have never taken a cruise before, a cruise is a good one to start with. Sailing into different ports and countries serves up a wealth of cultural experiences. Musical languages, historic architectures, a variety of terrains and things to do, make each day an adventure in discovery. And if you need a day of pure relaxation, you can do so on the deck of your ship, being waited on all day with a picturesque view in sight.

Even though ships can vary in size they can be super sophisticated or casually inviting. The larger ships give the sense of a floating hotel; the small ships feel more like cruising on your private yacht. The sense of formality is not necessarily tied to the size of the ship; you have to check into each ship's personality. Some cruises still have several formal nights, which require extra packing, and some cruises are all business casual. If you are thinking of the larger ships it's good to determine how many ports dock, and how many tender. If you have to tender a large number of people, you can end up spending a good deal of time waiting in line to get on and off the ship. Embarking from a docked ship is usually pretty efficient with most ships.

The next thing to consider is the cliental that is attracted to the ship. You might find it most interesting to be on a ship with varying age groups or with a group whose age is closer to yours.
It is also important to know what is included with the cruise. For example, some cruises include meals in the main dining room but charge a surcharge for the specialty restaurants; some cruises include tips and excursions, while others don't. Other considerations should be the level of activities, entertainment variety and quality, the types of excursions offered and most important - the ports of call.

And finally, what are your expectations regarding your cabin? Is it important to have a veranda, or is a porthole sufficient? Do you prefer one bed or two and is there an option? How much time will you spend in your cabin? Giving consideration to all of these issues and finding out the answers before you cruise will ensure that your expectations are set properly and that you have the best cruise experience you can have.