Radiance of the Seas Drydock

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Radiance of the Seas

This 10 year old ship needed some refreshing.  My husband and I sailed on her in 2009 and thought it was a great cruise but needed some updating onboard.

The Radiance just came out of a 21 day, $19 millon drydock and has some fabulous new features that were introduced on the Oasis class ships.   Among those new upgrades are some great places to dine such as The Samba Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse; Rita’s Cantina, a Mexican eatery;  Giovanni’s Table, an Italian restaurant; Asian Izumi restaurant; and the Park Café deli-style restaurant.  Lots of fun new options 🙂

The Radiance of the Seas now has 15 more staterooms, 3 of which are cabins for singles.  Can’t wait to hear about the reviews of the single cabins, new to Royal Caribbean International.   Having once sailed as a single, these staterooms would have been wonderful, paying the fare of two guests for one person to sail is hard on the pocketbook.

The Radiance was also given the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery new on the Oasis class ships.  This offers parents a daycare for babies and toddlers through 36 months old, offering playgroups and activities developed for Royal Caribbean through partnerships with Fisher Price and Crayola.

This summer, the Radiance will sail alternating, seven-night Northbound and Southbound Alaska itineraries before repositioning for its first winter 2011 season to Australia and New Zealand.

Happy Sailing 🙂

Why I Fell in Love with Cruising

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Barbados

Barbados

I fell in love with cruising on my very first cruise vacation.  I went by myself to sail the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan, Puerto Rico almost 5 years ago.  To this day, it is one of the most memorable vacations of my life.  Possibly for two reasons……  it was my first time on a large cruise ship and it was my very first vacation on my own.  After returning home from my voyage, I knew that this would become important in my life, I just wasn’t sure how.  I met my husband shortly before I went on this first cruise and he encouraged me to make more of this passion by making it a business.  Not long after we took our first cruise together, I made Curious Compass a reality.  We are embarking on our 7th cruise this fall with a New England/Canadian itinerary to see the leaves changing and eat some fresh seafood :)  My love of cruising grows with each cruise we embark on.  I love to help others plan their dream cruise vacation so they can share in the joy I have found in vacationing aboard a cruise ship.

Cruising has so much to offer.  There are so many exotic ports to visit, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to the South Pacific to Alaska and pretty much anywhere in the world you could dream to visit.  Cruising makes it easy to see many places without having to pack and un-pack each time you change your location.  I love waking up in a different port every day.  The days at sea are also an enjoyment for my husband and I.  We tend to use these days to catch up on rest and reading a good book with the sound of the ocean as a backdrop.   The entertainment onboard is extensive, from Broadway shows and shopping talks to poker tournaments and pool parties, karaoke and much, much more.  Most of the entertainment is included in the cruise fare.  Always one of the highlights of our cruise vacation is the Love and Marriage show, hysterical, a must see that leaves us laughing for most of the evening.  Ready to experience your first cruise?  I would love to help you plan!  

Happy Sailing 🙂

New Ships for 2011

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Celebrity Silhouette

Celebrity Silhouette

Full speed ahead in the cruise industry.   This year will see 7 new vessels set sail……..

Disney Dream, January 2011

Oceania Marina – February 2011

Aida Cruises AidaSol – April 2011

Carnival Magic – May 2011

Seabourn Quest – June 2011

Celebrity Silhouette – July 2011

Costa Favolosa – July 2011

According to CLIA, the cruise industry is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry – achieving more than 2,100 percent growth since 1970, when an estimated 500,000 people took a cruise.  Industry estimates are that 13.5 million people took a cruise vacation in 2009.  Wow!  That’s a lot of new people experiencing the fantasticness of cruising!!  Nearly 40 new ships were built in the 1980s and during the 1990s, nearly 80 new ships debuted. By the end of 2010, over 100 new ships were introduced since 2000, with seven new vessels on the way for 2011.   Still tremendous growth potenial because only approximately 20 percent of U.S. adults have ever taken a cruise vacation!  Sounds like we need to get cruising and invite all of our friends!!

Happy Sailing 🙂

Remember “The Love Boat”?

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PRINCESS CRUISES 2

One of my favorite shows as a kid.  I remember thinking how glamorous sailing would be.  How envious I was when I found out that my grandparents were going to sail on “The Love Boat”.  Maybe the actual show ship or maybe a Princess ship that was identical, I’m not entirely sure which as I was quite young when they sailed.   I still remember the photo hanging on their hallway wall of being dressed to the nines on that curved staircase on board.

This past week, Captain Merrill Stubing from “The Love Boat” also known as Gavin MacLeod in real life, celebrated his 80th birthday on board the Golden Princess.  MacLeod is a long time ambassador for Princess Cruise Lines.   On March 2nd, Princess honored him with a cake that was a 5 foot replica of the original love boat, the Pacific Princess.  What an amazing way to celebrate!!

Happy Sailing 🙂