New Website Feature - Now Book Anytime with Expedia CruiseShipCenters

Expedia CruiseShipCenters has recently added a revolutionary new feature to our website which allows you to book cruises online with the same personalized customer service and support from your Cruise Consultant. The new technology is the first of its kind to truly connect customers with their travel agents. As soon as you make a booking online, your Consultant is immediately notified via email and will make sure everything goes smoothly behind the scenes.

“Our new booking engine really enhances the role of the Cruise Consultant to make them available 24/7,” says Matthew Eichhorst, President of Expedia CruiseShipCenters. “The customer is able to secure the stateroom they want online, at any time, so their Consultant can focus on ways to enhance their vacation, whether it’s with transportation to and from the cruise, planning shore excursions, pre and post cruise accommodations or travel insurance.”

The website booking engine ties directly into the cruise line inventory so that you are always looking at real-time pricing and stateroom availability. The step-by-step system asks the same questions your Cruise Consultant would ask during the booking process, right down to dining preferences, stateroom location and special occasions to be celebrated during the cruise. If you need help at any point during or after the booking process, your Cruise Consultant is always available via phone or email to make changes or additions to the booking and to offer expert advice.
 
Our new booking engine combines the efficiency of technology with the peace of mind and outstanding customer service offered by a real person. You get to enjoy 24 hour booking access, while your consultant gets to focus on making your vacation the best it can possibly be.

To see how it works, please watch this short video below.

Celebrity Cruises Introduces "Celebrity iLounge" Contemporary new venue allows guests to 'stay social,' shop and learn

With the launch of its new brand platform, "Designed for you," last month, Celebrity Cruises reinforced its commitment to delivering the ultimate combination of ship design, service, cuisine and programs for cruise lovers. And today, it announced plans for a new venue whose design, products and programming are sure to appeal to today's cruisers.

When Celebrity Eclipse - the third in Celebrity Cruises' stylish Solstice Class fleet of ships - launches in April, guests will find the first "Celebrity iLounge." Designed to not only offer a hip, modern lounge ambience, Celebrity also created the space to offer what its guests said they wanted most in an Internet café: easy access to the Internet, inspiring classes and new products.

The Celebrity iLounge is composed of three main areas: a series of 26 contemporary workstations where guests can check their e-mail, retain their social media connections, or print boarding passes; a retail space offering cruisers the opportunity to see and try out the latest MacBooks®, iPods® and accessories; and an enrichment center where certified staff will offer guests tips on Mac or iPod usage.

Enhancing the "Discover" component of its "Celebrity Life" series of inspiring enrichment and entertainment experiences, Celebrity will offer in the Celebrity iLounge a series of engaging new courses designed to suit its guests' interests - including do-it-yourself photo books, movie editing and web design, through programs including iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and iWeb. And whether guests are savvy or novice users of Mac or iPod products, Celebrity's certified staff will be well-equipped to assist, following more than 125 hours of training in operating systems, applications, and products. They also will be poised to illustrate to guests the differences between Macs and PCs.

Guests eager to expand their collection of merchandise will find the Celebrity iLounge an enticing venue, too. As an Authorized Apple Reseller, Celebrity will have products available for guests to purchase, including iPods, MacBooks, and essential accessories.

Located on deck six of Celebrity Eclipse, the Celebrity iLounge will house the 26 MacBook Pro's, classroom and retail area, in addition to display pods, a 56-inch flat-screen TV for use during classes, and an accessible workstation.

The Celebrity iLounge also will be presented on Celebrity Silhouette, which launches in 2011, and the fifth ship in the Solstice Class fleet, which sets sail in 2012.

Princess Introduces New "A la Carte" Alaska Cruisetours this Summer for Independent-Minded Travelers

Princess Cruises is introducing four new "A la Carte" Alaska cruisetour options for this summer's season, offering more affordable and flexible options for independent-minded travelers. These new cruisetours spend an extra day at one of the Denali-area Princess lodges, and do not include excursions, giving travelers the time to customize their own daily schedules.

The four A la Carte tours range from 10 to 12 nights, offering at least three nights in the Denali area. All cruisetours feature a northbound "Voyage of the Glaciers" Gulf of Alaska cruise aboard Coral Princess or Island Princess, departing from Vancouver; combined with a three-, four- or five-night land tour to the heart of Alaska, featuring stays in Princess' two Denali-area wilderness lodges and exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service. All tours will visit both of the state's top attractions: Denali National Park and Glacier Bay National Park.

Travelers choosing these itineraries will not be scheduled on the Denali National Park tour or other activities usually included with cruisetours, and instead can choose to add any of four park tour options or a variety of other area excursions offered at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.

The four A la Carte cruisetours itineraries are:

Tour 101 -- 10 nights (Two nights at Denali lodge, one night at Mt. McKinley lodge)
Tour 102 -- 11 nights (Two nights at Denali lodge, one night at Mt. McKinley lodge, one night Fairbanks)
Tour 103 -- 11 nights (Two nights at Denali lodge, two nights at Mt. McKinley lodge)
Tour 104 -- 12 nights (Two nights at Denali lodge, two nights at Mt. McKinley lodge, one night Fairbanks)

All A la Carte tour options are available throughout the May to September Alaska season.

Princess offers a variety of land/sea Alaska experiences with itineraries ranging from 10 to 15 nights. All cruisetour options feature at least two nights in the Denali National Park area, stays in Princess' own riverside wilderness lodges, and a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers sailing with Glacier Bay National Park.