Knowledge is a Must!

Did you know that some cruise line reservations agents have never been on a cruise? In that case, how can they guide you in items such as the cruise experience, excursions, best location on the ship if you have motion issues, etc...? The travel industry is ever changing , escpecially cruising. It is vital that your Cruise Specialist understand passport requirements, itineraries, dining options, etc...

We pride ourselves in learning as much as we can to benefit us as well as our valued clients. Most of the cruise lines have training programs for travel agents. In order to complete these programs one must take numerous online classes, tests, and refresher courses to keep your status. Certifications that I have include:

• Princess Commodore
• Cunard Commodore
• Royal Caribbean Expert Level
• Carnival Certified
• Disney Cruise Line
• Celebrity 1-Star Agent

I am in the process of taking the courses for Crystal, Holland America, and Norwegian.

CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) has designations as well. The designations are ACC, MCC, ECC and ECC Scholar. In order to achieve these designations one must complete online courses and exams, complete ship inspections, take a minimum of a 3 day cruise and a 7 day cruise as well as sell a certain number of cabins within a 2 year period. I am happy to report that I have now become an ACC- Accredited Cruise Counsellor with CLIA.

The next time you book a cruise with us, you can be confident in our ability to plan a great cruise that will fit your needs and wants. We look forward to hearing from you. You can reach Renee at 866-568-0022.

Social Networking, Facebook and Cruising

Anyone that is anyone knows the impact that Social Networking has had on the Internet and beyond. Whether you are in your teens, twenties, or seventies, you have heard of Facebook. This Social Networking site has become the place to be. While it is great for finding and keeping up with old friends, there are many other advantages to Facebook. There are a number of very useful applications within Facebook.


We have created two very useful Facebook applications especially for cruising. We would love you to check them out, install them and become a fan!

• My Cruise- allows you to show off future and past cruises, automatically performs Roll Call showing others on your cruise, displays a photo of each ship with links to itineraries, deck plans, etc..., see all of your friends cruises and information about any cruise ship.


• Cruise Puppy- set up your favorite cruise lines with Cruise Puppy and it will automatically fetch the latest big sales that the cruise lines are having and alert you by sending a Facebook notification. The best part is that it does not fill up your inbox with a ton of information.

Check out our applications and let us know what you think!

10 Reasons to Purchase Travel Insurance

One of the most common questions that I am asked on a regular basis is...Should we really purchase travel insurance? Without hesitation, my answer is YES and here are some reasons why.

There are hundreds of circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip, return home early or force you to seek emergency medical treatment while traveling.

1. It's 10pm and you and your immediate family arrive at the airport for a connecting flight, only to find that your flight has been cancelled. Who can assist you with finding new flights to get everyone home?
2. Your bag was lost with your insulin inside. You need help to locate your bag as soon as possible and have your emergency prescription filled. Who do you call?
3. Your first visit to Europe, and your passport and wallet are stolen. Where do you turn for emergency cash, and how will you get your passport replaced?
4. You're involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who will help arrange and pay for a medical evacuation?
5. If your sister-in-law becomes seriously ill and you must cancel your trip, what happens to your non-refundable deposits or pre-payments?
6. You arrive in Jamaica and your luggage doesn't. If it's lost, who will help find it? If it's delayed, who will pay for your necessities? If it's stolen, who will pay to replace it?
7. Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. Who will pay for your non-refundable expenses? Who will help get you to your destination?
8. You're walking down a street in Rio and twist your ankle. Who can help you find an English-speaking physician?
9. Three weeks before your scheduled trip, a fire damages your home. Who will pay if you want to cancel your trip?
10. You are at a beach resort in North Carolina, and you are forced to evacuate due to an approaching hurricane. Who will help you evacuate and who will reimburse your lost vacation investment?

I can tell you from personal experience that the insurance pays off. In December 2008, Michael and I took our daughter on the Celebrity Solstice for our annual family cruise. While in San Juan, Ashleigh didn't feel good. She had a fever and was sluggish. We took her to the medical center on the ship. The staff was amazing and the medical center was top notch. It turns out that she had strep throat and needed antibiotics and ibuprofen (which I did not bring with us). So, $127 later, we were back in our cabin pumping her with medicine to get better. She was back to her normal active self within hours. Then we thought about the bill. Wait a minute, we have TravelGuard insurance. As soon as we returned home, I called TravelGuard and they emailed me the claim forms. We filled them out and sent them in. Within 2 weeks, we had a check for $127. What a relief!

Cruise Port Highlight- The Port of Baltimore

One of the most important things about cruising is the cruise port. Where can I go to take a cruise? What cruise lines can I take? And the list goes on. Each month, I will highlight one cruise port and give reviews, cruise line details and news. Since I live in Maryland, I thought it only appropriate to start with my homeport of Baltimore.

Which cruise lines sail out of Baltimore?

• NCL Majesty
• Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas
• Carnival Pride
• Celebrity Mercury
• American Glory, Star, Spirit

When can I sail out of Baltimore?

Carnival Cruise Lines is bringing the Carnival Pride to Baltimore starting April 27, 2009. This ship will sail year-round from the Charm City. American Cruise Lines starts sailing on May 9, 2009 through November 7, 2009. Norwegian Cruise Lines will sail from May 24, 2009 through August 28, 2009. Royal Caribbean sets sail on June 19, 2009 and ends on November 19, 2009. Celebrity Cruises is the latest to join our port with the Celebrity Mercury and will set sail on November 9, 2009 through December 21, 2009. For more detailed information on the 2009 Cruise Schedule visit http://www.cruisemaryland.com/2009Schedule.pdf

Which Itineraries are available out of Baltimore?

• Carnival - Bahamas, Port Canaveral & Bahamas, Exotic Eastern Caribbean
• American Star- Mid Atlantic Inland Passage, Chesapeake Bay
• NCL- Bermuda
• Royal Caribbean- Canada/New England, Caribbean
• Celebrity- Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean

Is it easy to sail out of The Port of Baltimore?

Yes, yes and yes. The port is conveniently located off of I-95 at the South Locust Point Cruise Terminal. The parking is great and the staff is very helpful. But don't take my word for it...The Port of Baltimore Won an International Customer Satisfaction Award from Royal Caribbean. Click here for the full press release.

**American Cruise Lines departs from the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

For more information regarding sailing out of the Port of Baltimore, call me at 410-203-0022.