Pregnant? Just had a baby? New policies on RCCL, Celebrity, Azamara

The RCI brands - Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara - have revised their policies dealing with their youngest passengers... and those expecting future cruisers.

Effective immediately, infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour. However, for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, select South American cruises/cruisetours and other selected cruises/cruisetours, the infant (as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour) must be at least 12 months old.

For pregnant cruisers, the policy is revised for all three lines as well. Guests who will have entered
their 24th week of pregnancy by the beginning of, or at any time during, the cruise or cruisetour. A physician's "Fit to Travel" note is required prior to sailing, stating how far along (in weeks) the guest's pregnancy will be at the beginning of the cruise and confirming that the guest is in good health and not experiencing a high-risk pregnancy.

These policies are for the protection of the passengers. Neonatal and infants require specialized equipment and medication, and the onboard clinics just aren't equipped to handle premature labor or infants. Other lines have similar requirements and I'd expect to see more of these restrictions specifically spelled out.

If you're pregnant and thinking of cruising, or have an infant, make sure to discuss that with your agent at the time of booking... or after you've confirmed your pregnancy. It's wonderful to get away before the birth of a new family member, but horrible to be turned away at the pier.

More Fuel Supplement Hikes

Following on the hikes announced by Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Lines have both posted increases of their own.

Royal Caribbean International (Azamara, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) announced that, effective for booking made starting May 1, 2008, the supplement will increase to $8/person per day, with a maximum of $112/person per cruise for the first and second passengers in the cabin. Third and fourth passengers will be assessed $3/person per day, with a maximum of $24/person per sailing.

Norwegian Cruise Lines will be raising their fuel supplement to $9/person per day for the first and second passengers in the cabin, with a supplement of $4/person per day for the third and fourth in the same cabin. Their increase is also effective for bookings made starting on May 1, 2008. One thing to note with NCL is that they don't have a per person maximum.

I'm a bit surprised by the NCL increase. While fuel costs have gone up dramatically since the supplements were originally announced in November and December, I thought part of the rationale behind the Carnival Corp. and RCI increases were the losses they suffered when they had to credit back supplements for sailings booked prior to their November announcements of the surcharge. However, NCL never had that issue, as they didn't make their supplements retroactive. However, their supplement did go up less per person, so perhaps that's how it all adds up together to make their respective balance sheets happy.

Expect to see further increases if the price of fuel continues to rise.

More 2009 Openings - Royal Caribbean Alaska, Azamara Europe

As was previously announced, Royal Caribbean has opened its 2009 Alaska Season as has Azamara Cruises with their 2009 summer European sailings. These come as no surprise as the dates were given earlier, but as always, wanted to keep my readers up-to-date on the openings.

Next up from Royal Caribbean will be the Panama Canal sailings, expected to be released on April 17.

Early Notice! Celebrity and Azamara Special Event!

Just wanted to give you all a head's up. On Friday, February 29, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises will both be offering a special Leap Year savings event! Full details on Wednesday in a special edition of my newsletter. If you've been looking at a Celebrity or Azamara cruise, and the current onboard credit offers weren't *quite* enough, then Friday's your day!

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Celebrity and Azamara Marry...

No, not each other, but they can marry you.

In a week traditionally devoted to romance, Celebrity and Azamara Cruises announced that their Captains will soon be able to marry couples at sea. Up to this point, only Princess Cruise Line offered this service, even though many couples presumed all lines could do this. Most lines offer weddings aboard the ship before departure, or in ports while on the cruise, but up to now, only Princess offered weddings while actually sailing, even though popular lore had most people believing all Captains can perform this ritual.

In the announcement, Celebrity and Azamara announced that with the re-registration of their ships to Maltese registration, government regulations there permit their Captains to perform legal weddings while at sea.

Weddings will still need to be arranged in advance to ensure the proper documentation and licenses can be secured.

I've helped many couples arrange weddings at sea through Princess, and am very glad to see two more lines offering this! It's a wonderfully romantic (and lower stress) way to tie the knot and start your honeymoon all in one fell swoop! Call or email me if you have questions or want to arrange your own wedding at sea.

Azamara Becomes More Flexible

No, this isn't a post about a new Pilates class on Azamara.

As frequent readers of this blog know, I'm a fan of the Deluxe lines, both Oceania and Azamara. I feel they each offer a niche which was previously ignored between the mainstream and luxury lines. With smaller ships (5 of the former Renaissance ships between them), open dining, and more unusual itineraries, they appeal to sophisticated travelers who are looking for something different, with a higher level of service and quality than the mainstream brands, but at an exceptional value.

One difference between the lines when Azamara began was that Azamara's alternative restaurants weren't fully included in the fare. Those in standard cabins received one night free in one of the two restaurants, while suite guests received two complimentary nights. Oceania, on the other hand, had no charge for their alternative restaurants.

Very quietly recently, Azamara responded to this difference (and criticism about it from their agent partners and guests) and now has removed the charges for their two restaurants, Prime C and Aqualina. Guests in standard cabins can enjoy two confirmed nights in these restaurants, while suite guests will have 3 confirmed reservations. Further reservations may be made, on a complimentary basis, as space permits.

This is terrific news and a positive step for Azamara. I'm glad to see they're listening to their clients, and better understanding their market.

If you've been considering either Azamara or Oceania, contact me for more information! Azamara has some wonderful onboard credit offers right now, and Oceania has many sailings on a "2-for-1 and free air" promotion, though that's sometimes a bit of a misnomer.

You can also read my review of the Azamara Quest inaugural here, or it's archived in the November blog articles.

Azamara Quest Inaugural Review

It’s the little things which make all the difference. Which stand out in your mind and turn an ordinary ship into an extraordinary experience. Things like indulgent towels, unexpected offerings on a buffet, thick pads on teak loungers and attentive, personal service. All these and more were part of what I enjoyed aboard Azamara Quest inaugural October 22 from Miami. Yes, this beautiful ship only accommodates 694 passengers, but beyond the intimacy these smaller ships provide, it’s the attention to detail which has earned this new Deluxe line my respect and recommendation.

I recently sailed the Azamara Quest Inaugural on October 22, 2007, and my full review can be found here: Azamara Quest Review.