The Cruise Report With Cruise Specialists Cruise Reporter Ralph Grizzle

If you’ve been contemplating a luxury cruise but haven’t quite pulled the trigger, this may just decide the issue. The Yachts of Seabourn, recently recognized by readers of Conde Nast Traveler as the Best Small-Ship Cruise Line, is in the middle of a weeklong sale on 10 itineraries this winter and next spring. To qualify for fares from $1,349 per person, travelers must make reservations by the end of next Monday, July 20.  Read more... (248 words, estimated 60 secs reading time)

Seabourn Odyssey, the new ultra-luxury ship from the Yachts of Seabourn, completed her sea trials last week, and she departed yesterday on her maiden 14-day voyage from Venice to Istanbul.

The first addition to the luxury market for quite some time, the Seabourn Odyssey promises to be quite an elegant experience, with accommodations, cuisine and entertainments to suit its upscale target audience.  Read more... (138 words, estimated 33 secs reading time)

Cunard’s impeccable White Star Service will make an intriguing east-west world voyage aboard the Queen Mary 2 starting January 2011, the fourth world cruise for the line’s flagship. Cunard’s 2011 world cruises — on the magnificent QM2 as well as the newer Queen Elizabeth — go on sale next week, and Cunard is offering some significant early-booking incentives.  Read more... (238 words, estimated 57 secs reading time)

It appears that what you’ll pay for a cruise vacation has reached bottom and is slowly trending upward. The upshot: Book now for the best deals.

In a conference call to Wall Street analysts Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison said, “We have started tweaking pricing on a variety of brands.”

Read: Prices are increasing. However, some incredible deals are still to be found.  Read more... (199 words, estimated 48 secs reading time)

Windstar already provides a luxury cruise vacation that is at least partially organic, if you consider the wind power that fills the ships’ sails organic. Now, Windstar has a spa partner providing certified-organic products and treatments.

OnboardSpa Co. is a new partner with Windstar Cruises, providing a full menu of products and services through the spas, salons and fitness centers aboard the Windstar ships.  Read more... (299 words, estimated 1:12 mins reading time)

Silver Spirit, the newest ultra-luxury ship from Silversea Cruses, will make her maiden voyage next January a memorable one. The 91-day Grand Voyage will certainly be special, as any maiden voyage is, but to celebrate the arrival of its new ship, Silversea is lining up an array of celebrity guest speakers for onboard presentations, complimentary excursions and other exclusive onshore events designed to showcase local cultures as well as entertain guests.  Read more... (697 words, estimated 2:47 mins reading time)

The debut of the Seabourn Odyssey, the first of three new ships rolling out over the next two years for the Yachts of Seabourn, is just a few weeks away, and as with any debut of a new ship, we are eager see and learn more about what promises to be a gorgeous addition to the luxury market.

I’ll be on board a July 25-August 1 sailing, so please mark your calenders to visit this space then.  Read more... (361 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Peripheral expenses during a summer voyage with Disney Cruise Line just went down substantially as the line has announced a spending credit for guests booking a veranda stateroom. Also, leveraging its relationship with the Disney Channel, the cruise line is bringing some of its popular young stars on board for several summer sailings on the Disney Wonder.  Read more... (349 words, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

The fantastic incentives that luxury cruise lines are offering appear to be having the desired impact, which may be a signal to the cruise lines that they don’t have to be so generous.

Silversea Cruises is reporting that last week it set a corporate record for daily call volume, part of a three-week surge when bookings exceeded the same period of 2008 by nearly 150%. Silversea, like most cruise lines, particularly in the luxury segment, has been sweetening the pot to attract more guests.  Read more... (314 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)

Caribbean cruises are the most popular of all cruises, accounting for nearly 50 percent of cruise ship capacity placement. The extensive region, which is bounded by the South American coast, Central America, Mexico and North America, is made up of many nationalities, typically characterized by a laid-back, no-worries attitude.

Cruises in the Caribbean often visit three to six ports on a weeklong itinerary. Eastern Caribbean itineraries depart South Florida for visits that may include the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. John. A Western Caribbean cruise vacation typically visits Key West, Mexico and either the Cayman Islands or Jamaica.  Read more... (323 words, 1 image, estimated 1:18 mins reading time)