Cruise Freek Forums Blogcast

Cruise Freek Forums is going to Hawaii in 2010 and you are invited! We have selected Celebrity Cruise Line’s “Millennium” for this very special cruise offering! We will set sail on April 9, 2010 departing from Honolulu for an Eastbound itinerary that features the Hawaiian Islands and several West Coast ports including: San Francisco, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver.

The full itinerary is as follows:

Pricing is as follows:

Category 12 Inside $1306.91 per person

Category 09 Inside $1336.91 per person

Category 08 Outside $1506.91 per person

Category 04 Outside $1546.91 per person

Category 2C Balcony $2106.91 per person

Category 2A Balcony $2146.91 per person

Category CC Concierge $2406.91 per person

Category SS Sky Suite $3206.91 per person

Category RS Royal Suite $6206.91 per person

Prices include port charges, taxes and fuel surcharge

Deposits are $900 per cabin and refundable until January 29, 2010!

Sign up today to be notified of Travel Agent assignment so you can place your deposit! http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/Hawaii-Group-Cruise-h68.htm

It’s always exciting to sail aboard a brand new ship and, it’s even better to sail a ship when it’s a few months old (that way all the bugs have been worked out), and, I am positive the Cruise Freek Forums sponsored sailing on Celebrity Solstice will be extraordinary!

Cruise Freek Forums is offering the opportunity to sail the Mediterranean for 11 glorious nights on Celebrity Cruise’s Lines newest ship, Celebrity Solstice. Celebrity Solstice promises to offer a wonderful experience and truly making getting there have the fun!

AquaClass For those who have entered a spa and never wanted to leave, Celebrity Solstice offers the new AquaClassSM stateroom. Sharing a deck with the AquaSpa® relaxation room, it incorporates select spa elements into the staterooms, allows for specialized access to spa amenities, and features assigned seating at the healthfully delicious Blu.

Lawn Club There’s absolutely nothing like it. A freshly manicured lawn on the highest deck of Celebrity Solstice. This is The Lawn Club. Enjoy casual outdoor activities in a decidedly Country Club atmosphere, and let the grass between your toes take you places no cruise has gone before.

Cellar Masters Inspired by the vineyards of Napa Valley, Cellarmasters brings to life the experience of a global wine tour while you learn about and taste a large variety of wines from around the world. A welcoming and unique on board environment, you’ll discover new wines, receive recommendations and enrich your knowledge of the world of wine.

Grand Epernay Dining Room The magnificent and luxurious main dining room of Celebrity Solstice. With a two-story glass wine tower and dazzling chandeliers, this quintessential dining area has a decidedly Hollywood aura. Serving savory World & Continental cuisine, complete with Celebrity’s famed European-style service.

Celebrity Central For an evening of lively, spontaneous entertainment, the versatile Celebrity Central is the perfect destination. Catch a late night comedy show, live musical performances, or a great movie in a comfortable, casual atmosphere.

But, the fun isn’t going to be limited to on-board the ship. Cruise Freek Forums has selected Bob DeAgazio, manager of Worldview Travel, La Jolla, California to be the official travel agent for this sailing. You can rest easy knowing that Worldview Travel is a Virtuoso agency and Bob DeAgazio is well seasoned in the travel industry.

Bob will be escorting the group and he is currently working on an exciting pre-cruise package in Rome, Italy. Between Bob’s ability to get very special deals with the airlines to skipping lines at favored attractions like The Vatican plus offering special private shore tours at various ports of call, this promises to be the trip of a lifetime!

CRUISE FREEKS GROUP AMENITIES:

* PRE CRUISE INFORMATION PACKET * PRIVATE COCKTAIL PARTY * ONBOARD CREDIT * OPTIONAL PRIVATE SHORE EXCURSIONS

PRICING Category 10 Inside $2379.04 with special bonus $100 On-board Credit Category 08 Oceanview $2479.04 with special bonus $100 On-board Credit Category 2C Deluxe Verandah $2529.04 with special bonus$125 On-board Credit Category C2 Concierge Class $2829.04 with special bonus $125 On-board Credit Category AQ Aqua Class $3029.04 with special bonus $150 On-board Credit Category S2 Sky Suite $5029.07 with special bonus $200 On-board Credit Category RS Royal Suite $9029.04 with special bonus $325 On-board Credit

Space is very limited. Please reserve early to avoid disappointment.

Additional categories may be available, please call for prices and availability.

ALL PRICES ARE PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY AND INCLUDE ALL PORT CHARGES, TAXES, GOVERNMENT FEES AND FUEL SURCHARGE

AIRFARE, SHORE EXCURSIONS, INSURANCE AND OPTIONAL PRE/POST CRUISE HOTEL PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE AT ADDITIONAL COST.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT INFORMATION BOOK EARLY AND SAVE!! $900.00 PER CABIN DUE BY JUNE 18, 2008 SUITES MUST DEPOSIT BY APRIL 15, 2008

FINAL PAYMENT DUE BY MARCH 10, 2009

Contact: Bob @ Worldview Travel 7777 Girard Ave, Suite 106 La Jolla, CA 92037 800-869-0674 bobd@worldviewtravel.com

Worldview TravelWorld View Travel - Leisure Consultant, Southern California Your best source for Value, Integrity and Expertise. Worldview Travel was founded in 1974 under the direction of its President, Ricci Zukerman. Worldview has been recognized as a leader in the travel industry and one of the premier travel companies in Southern California. We continue to grow through innovative programs providing travel benefits and value to our clients by award-winning travel professionals offering unparallel expertise and service.

WHY BOOK A GROUP CRUISE WITH CRUISE FREEK FORUMS?

1) No forced socializations!

# # #

Announcing Cunard Queen Mary 2 Holiday Cruise 2009

Departing: December 20, 2009

Returning: January 4, 2009

Announcing Cunard Queen Mary 2 Holiday Cruise 2009

Departing:  December 20, 2009

Returning:  January 4, 2009

PRICING:

Prices are PER PERSON

PRICING:

Prices are PER PERSON

Space is very limited. Please reserve early to avoid disappointment.

Additional categories may be available, please call for prices and availability.


ALL PRICES ARE PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY AND INCLUDE ALL PORT CHARGES, TAXES,
GOVERNMENT FEES AND FUEL SURCHARGE AS ADVISED.

AIRFARE, SHORE EXCURSIONS, INSURANCE AND OPTIONAL PRE/POST CRUISE HOTEL PACKAGES
ARE AVAILABLE AT ADDITIONAL COST.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT INFORMATION BOOK EARLY AND SAVE!!
25% of Cruise Fare

FINAL PAYMENT DUE BY SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

Exclusive Amenities include

• $100.00 OBC for inside/outside
• $150.00 OBC for Balcony/Grill
• Invitation to private cocktail party
• Pre-cruise information packet
• Invitations to private group onboard functions and exclusive, handcrafted shore excursion experiences

As the group grows there is the chance that extra OBC will also be awarded so tell your friends!

PRE-CRUISE PACKAGE You also have access to our exclusive pre-cruise NYC City package starting at just $289.00pp/dbl

• Includes 1 night at the Library Hotel
• -Breakfast included, Cocktail reception, complimentary internet and all day snacks.
• Transportation to Dinner at Rosie O’Grady’s*
• Transportation to Radio City Music Hall for “Christmas Spectacular”*
• Transportation back to hotel.
• Transfer and luggage assistance including all taxes and gratuities to Queen Mary 2 the next morning.

About Ambiance Travel:

We realize that sometimes doing business on the Internet can be risky and that’s why Cruise Freek Forums is proud to have Nina Van Harn, owner of Ambiance Travel, as our official travel agent for of our Christmas and New Year’s cruise aboard Queen Mary 2. Ambiance Travel is a Virtuoso affiliate agency.

What is a Virtuoso agency? Virtuoso is an exclusive network of travel agencies who serve the most affluent, well-traveled individuals worldwide. Out of over 30,000 travel agencies in the USA, just 300 are Virtuoso agencies and membership is by invitation only! Virtuoso travel specialists have an average of 20 years of experience in the travel industry and are certified with the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.

Additionally, Ambiance Travel is a Cunard Commodore Agency. This means that Nina Van Harn has completed an extensive training program offered exclusively through Cunard Cruise Lines. The Cunard Academy focuses on White Star Services and the Cunard fleet.

Lastly, you can rest assured service from Ambiance Travel does not end when you book your cruise. From start to finish Ambiance Travel is there to assist your needs and, Nina Van Harn will be on-board the Christmas and New Year’s sailing of Queen Mary 2 and, she will be in New York City for all the pre-cruise activities escorting those who choose to participate in the fun.

Pre-Cruise Hotel and Activities Information:

While Cruise Freek Forums group cruises NEVER forces socialization, we do offer fun and interesting packages for those who are interested. For those who wish to take advantage of the Pre-Cruise package in New York City, here’s what you can anticipate.

Accommodations at The Library Hotel. The Library Hotel is well situated on Manhattan’s East Side, located at 41st Street and Madison Avenue. This boutique hotel is themed after the Dewey Decimal System and features over 6,000 books in it’s private library, all at your reading disposal. Your nightly rate includes breakfast, all day snacks, complimentary Internet access, and, a cocktail reception. Rates begin at just $289 per person, based on double occupancy.

Please note that The Library Hotel is a smoke-free environment.

Dinner at Rosie O’Grady’s and Evening Performance of the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Rosie O’Grady’s is a wonderful steak and seafood house that is a Theater District fixture and offers a dinner menu for nearly taste and budget, and, it will be a wonderful start for our planned evening out. After dinner it’s off to Radio City for an evening performance of the annual Christmas Spectacular. The Christmas Spectacular has been running for over 75 years and features Santa Claus, live animals and, of course, the world famous Radio City Rockettes. The show is approximately 90 minutes in length. Pricing will be made available sometime in 2009 for these two activities.

**Depending on timing we will be offering photo opportunities at Rockefeller Center either before or after the show. Rockefeller Center is just steps away from Radio City Music Hall.

On-Board Activities:

As already mentioned, Cruise Freek groups never force socializations, however, if you are so inclined, many of our group members are already in the planning stages of on-board activities including:

• Dinner or Lunch at Todd English
• Cocktail Party
• Pub or Cabin Crawl

You are invited to join Cruise Freek Forums and contribute your ideas for our on-board activities!

Ready to Book?:

Contact:

Ambiance Travel
http://ambiancetc.com/

Phone number: 1-616-405-6950
Fax number: 1 (866)762-2709
E-mail: Nina@ambiancetc.com

For more information visit the dedicated website for this sailing: http://www.cunardholiday2009.makeswebsites.com/

Cruise Freek Forums is pleased to announce the ports of call for the 2009 Christmas and New Year’s sailing:

New York -

Grand Turk-

Tortola

Curacao

Grenada

Bridgetown

Castries

Dominica

Basseterre

Charlotte Amalie

New York

This sailing departs on Sunday, December 20, 2009 and we are offering group rates and group amenities for this sailing and, we encourage you to sign up via our opt-in email list to be notified of pricing and when we open for booking.

In the meantime, feel free to take a sneak peak at our dedicated website for this sailing, please pardon the appearance, it’s still under construction: http://www.cunardholiday2009.makeswebsites.com/

Please feel free to also drop by Cruise Freek Forums and join us on the Cunard threads to meet your shipmates, vote on pre-cruise activies which currently include: Tickets to Radio City for the Christmas Spectacular and dinner either prior or after the show. Remember ALL activities are voluntary. Cruise Freek Forums groups NEVER force socialization but, plenty of activities that would like a more social experience are being planned. So come join us on! http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/cunard-f26/

Can’t join us for Christmas? We have lots of other group cruises available so be sure to come by to check us out: http://cruisefreekforums.forumfreek.com/index.htm Sea you on-board!

Call Bob DeAgazio of Worldview Travel at: 800-869-0674

**MEMBERSHIP IN CRUISE FREEK FORUMS IS NOT REQUIRED TO BOOK THIS SAILING**

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!

  CRUISE FREEKS GROUP AMENITIES:

• PRE CRUISE INFORMATION PACKET
• PRIVATE COCKTAIL PARTY
• ONBOARD CREDIT
• OPTIONAL PRIVATE SHORE EXCURSIONS

PRICING

Space is very limited.  Please reserve early to avoid disappointment. 

Additional categories may be available, please call for prices and availability.

ALL PRICES ARE PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY AND INCLUDE ALL PORT CHARGES, TAXES, GOVERNMENT FEES AND FUEL SURCHARGEl .

AIRFARE, SHORE EXCURSIONS, INSURANCE AND OPTIONAL PRE/POST CRUISE HOTEL PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE AT ADDITIONAL COST.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT INFORMATION        BOOK EARLY AND SAVE!! $900.00 PER CABIN DUE BY JUNE 18, 2008 SUITES MUST DEPOSIT BY APRIL 15, 2008 FINAL PAYMENT DUE BY MARCH 10, 2009

Contact: Bob @ Worldview Travel 7777 Girard Ave, Suite 106
La Jolla, CA 92037
800-869-0674
bobd@worldviewtravel.com

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! 

THIS IS NOT, REPEAT NOT THE PRICING FOR MAY 25, 2009. I AM MERELY POSTING TO GIVE A ROUGH IDEA OF PRICING. WHEN THE MAY 25, 2009 BECOME AVAILABLE, I WILL POST IT IMMEDIATELY!!

INTERIOR $2399 PP OUTSIDE $2549 PP BALCONY $2649 SUITE $3049

Again these are NOT the prices for May 25, 2009. The prices above are preliminary pricing for the July 17, 2009 sailing - the only pricing even somewhat available at this time. I promise to post May 25, 2009 as soon as it is available.

Cruise Freek Forums is heading to Europe in May, 2009 on Celebrity Solstice! Now is the time to sign up for this exciting and growing group being escorted by our own Host Bob. Pricing and intinerary will be released shortly. To be notified by email click on the banner and fill in your email address. And check out the sneak peak of Europe slideshow while you’re there! Just click on the banner!

Sign up for our newsletter to be kept informed about which month, ship and itinerary has been selected. Future newsletters will also include prices and booking procedures. Open to the public and offer not restricted to residents of the USA - all are welcome.

EUROPE MAY 25, 2008 HAS BEEN SELECTED, THE ITINERARY IS AS FOLLOWS:

Mon 25 May 2009 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 6:00 PM Boarding Tue 26 May 2009 At Sea Wed 27 May 2009 Santorini, Greece 2:00 PM 10:00 PM Tendered Thu 28 May 2009 Mykonos, Greece 7:00 AM 5:00 PM Docked Fri 29 May 2009 Istanbul, Turkey 1:00 PM Docked Sat 30 May 2009 Istanbul, Turkey 2:00 PM Docked Sun 31 May 2009 Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Docked Mon 01 Jun 2009 Rhodes, Greece 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Docked Tue 02 Jun 2009 Athens (Piraeus), Greece 8:00 AM 6:00 PM Docked Wed 03 Jun 2009 At Sea Thu 04 Jun 2009 Naples/Capri, Italy 7:00 AM 6:00 PM Docked Fri 05 Jun 2009 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Departure