Cruise Freek Forums Blogcast

Cruise Freek Forums Launch Booking Engine

Now in addition to having live chat, message boards, blogs and group cruises, I’m very proud to announce that Cruise Freek Fourms has launched a booking engine in partnership with Travelocity!

So come by, visit, price shop, visit the boards, and purchase your air, car, hotels, even cruises online:

http://www.makeaneasywebsite.com/cruisefreekforums/booking_engine

Want to shop cruises? CLICK HERE

Our comprehensive cruise site includes ship tours, ship photos, great prices but don’t forget to check out our group cruises on Cruise Freek Forums because we have EXCLUSIVE deals on sailings including Europe, Bermuda, Alaska, the Caribbean and more so come check us out before booking online!

We even have currency converters and attraction tickets right on the site!

Just be patient, the page takes about 15 seconds to load but it’s worth your time because we’re offering the same great rates as Travelocity because we’re Travelocity partners!

Several updates to announce to you today.  First, for those who missed the Celebrity Solstice chat with Host Bob on Saturday, a recap of chat can be found here: http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/celebrity-f28/recap-of-solstice-live-chat-t860.htm As a reminder to those who plan to book Celebrity Solstice May 25, 2009 featuring Italy, Greece and Turkey with Bob to please send your booking forms into Bob by Tuesday.  For those who didn’t attend, Bob has made special arrangements with Celebrity Cruise Lines to allow him to block group space one day earlier than the planned release date, this is just one of many advantages of booking with CruiseFreek Forums and Host Bob for this sailing.  Bob has lots of wonderful extras lined up for the group from a private cocktail to specially arranged shore tours and a few more surprises yet to be revealed!  Deposits are $900 per cabin.

Bob can hold specific cabins up to 30 days without deposit being due so if you’re thinking about this cruise, now is the time to lock in your cabin!  So you can hold a cabin while you wait for prices! Additional information on the Solstice (including cabin types) can be found at: www.cruisecelebritysolstice.com and deck plans can be located at: http://www.celebritycruises.com/plancruise/ships/ship.do?shipCode=SL Booking forms are located here: http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/Celebrity-Solstice-May-25-2009-Booking-Form-h53.htm Your information is transmitted securely with a 256 High-grade encryption system and go directly to Bob.

Again, your information is transmitted securely with a 256 High-grade encryption system and go directly to Nina. Due to Nina’s special relationship with Cunard we have unofficial confirmation that the 2009 Holiday season will return Queen Mary 2 back to New York City and sail to the Caribbean to celebrate Christmas and New Years.  TheCunard holiday group is an active one and, many pre-cruise activities are being planned in Manhattan for those who wish to participate including:

• 1 night pre-cruise stay at either the Library or Casablanca Hotel
• Dinner at Rosie O’Grady’s (http://rosieogradys.com/)
• Tickets to Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Spectacular Show
• Transportation to events and to/from ship

Additionally several on-board social events are also being discussed including dinner at Todd English (the alternative restaurant on-board).  Join us for this very special cruise!  Who saidCunard Cruisers are stiff?! Can’t make it for Christmas in 2009?  Cruise Freek Forums is also planning on a group cruise on Queen Mary 2 for the 4th of July in 2009!  This is an excellent opportunity to experience this extraordinary ship without the commitment of a longer cruise.  We’re still waiting for the itinerary but, ifCunard follows past itinerary history, this sailing will be depart from New York and heading to New England (usually with fireworks in Boston Harbor) and Canada.  Typically it is between a 4 to 6 night sailing.

Like the Christmas sailing, our board members are busy planning pre-cruise activies including:

• 1 night pre-cruise stay at either the Library or Casablanca Hotel
• Tickets to a ball game for the guys and a shopping trip for the gals
• Dinner at to be voted upon and announced
• Theater tickets to a Broadway show - to be announced
• Transportation arrangements for all events and to/from ship

Booking Forms for the 4th of July cruise on Cunard Queen Mary 2 are located here: http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/Queen-Mary-2-Booking-Form-4th-of-July-2009-h38.htm

Your information is transmitted securely with a 256 High-grade encryption system and go directly to Nina. NEITHER HOST BOB OR HOST NINA WILL CHARGE YOUR CREDIT CARD WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.  YOU WILL BE CONTACTED TO GO OVER PRICING AND DETAILS OF THE CRUISE AND TO OBTAIN YOUR PERMISSION TO CHARGE YOUR CREDIT CARD.  THEREFORE SUPPLYING YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION ON THE FORMS IS PURELY OPTIONAL!

Lastly, you are going to be seeing changes to the Cruise Freek Forums boards during the coming weeks.  We are adding web pages for Cruise News, Cruise Specials from our registered Travel Agents and Sponsors, and most (but not all) of the advertising will be pulled off the message boards and be located on the web pages.  We hope you like the changes and, if you have any suggestions or ideas for our new design you’re more than welcome to submit them! In closing, on this St. Patrick’s Day, I’d like to offer each of you an Old Irish Blessing, I’m sure many of you know it well:

As always thank you for your support of Cruise Freek Forums, it is truly appreciated!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

http://www.cruisefeakforums.com 

“While I was in Ft Lauderdale last week for the cruise3sixty convention, I had a chance to talk to a couple of the sales managers for area hotels. They are all eager to work with pre-cruise groups, but of course we cannot set up anything without dates from RCCL. Each hotel has a limit as to how many rooms can be set aside for groups, so depending on our group size and the hotel limitations we may have to use more than one hotel.

I also spoke with a local bus company (that can provide transportation to group events). At the very least I’m thinking they will be the way to go for transportation to the cruise terminal the morning of the cruise … otherwise we’ll overwhelm the hotels (the ones that offer shuttles that is) or go nuts trying to arrange for a multitude of taxi cabs.

I also spoke with someone at the Seminole Hard Rock which works with groups of 25 or larger … they’ll provide free transportation to their property and give everyone a gaming voucher, in return you need to spend about 4 hours on property (of course they hope you are spending that time gambling).

As for finding out anything about the cruise itself … noting, nada, zip … maybe late May or early June they’ll start releasing tidbits of information … they won’t even commit at this point to whether or not group space will be available (although it’s been available on previous inaugural cruises, they are qualifying themselves by saying “Genesis is different….” “Genesis is unique….”)”

Join Cruise Freek Forums on Genesis for the Inaugural sailing in Fall, 2009!

had a great time at my cruise conference and toured the Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Caribbean Princess. (more on that once I get a chance to organize my pictures)

At the private club that Cunard had set up for their top agents at the conference I talked to Carol a bit, wonderful lady, very gracious and down to earth. I was treated like the darling of the Club which was fun and got the emails of almost every VP in the company with an invitation to contact them if I needed anything. (Still wondering if that was because of my record with Cunard or thanks to my dress but we’ll see!) Although, I had met many of them at the QV event it was nice to build the relationships more. I will be working with them on some new marketing ideas which will be fun. Hopefully, I will be able to gain more insider knowledge for our groups here through these firmer relationships.

I think I posted this before but I will post it again, pricing is scheduled to come out April 20th or close to that although it won’t formally be announced until the beginning of April. Hopefully, they will get ahead of schedule and come out with it sooner since Princess is coming out March 21st and the two companies work very closely together. I’ll keep you posted on that. Also, 4th of July is certainly out of NYC and I got another nod from the top to the positive for NYC for Christmas in 2009 although they haven’t finished scheduling so couldn’t give me a firm yes just yet. I also found out that they will be watching these groups! Good things to come if they are successful That’s it in a nutshell.

The chat will be featuring the May, 2009 European cruise on the brand new Celebrity Solstice and any other updates Bob has to share with us. Everyone is invited and you’re encouraged to attended even if you’re just curious or thinking about this sailing. An additional reminder will be sent out later in the week with times the Live Chat will be taking place. For more information about the European cruise CLICK HERE to be taken to the dedicated page that lists the itinerary, allows you to sign up for email updates regarding this sailing, and see a Sneak Preview Slide Show of Meditteranean.

CAN’T MAKE THE CHAT? MAKE YOU SIGN UP FOR OPT-IN EMAIL LIST FOR UPDATES ON THE MAY 25, 2009 SAILING ON CELEBRITY SOLSTICE

Can’t make it to Europe with us in May, 2009? We are also organizing a group cruise on Celebrity Solstice for President’s week in February, 2010 in the Caribbean. Click Here for more details!

VISIT http://www.cruisefreakforums.com to learn more about this new and fast growing Cruise Message Board Community!