Monday, March 30, 2009

Disney announces Free Dining!

IT'S BACK! One of Disney's favorite promotions is back again- Free Dining.

Walt Disney World Offers Free Dining Package

Walt Disney World Resort is offering a special package featuring new savings and free dining for clients arriving most nights Aug. 16 through Oct. 3, 2009. With the “Magic Your Way Plus Dining,” clients can choose from more than 100 participating restaurants enjoying one table service meal, one quick-service meal and one select snack each night of their package. This package is available for reservations at all Disney Resorts with the exception of Fort Wilderness campsites. During this limited time only, a family of four can buy a five-night, six-day “Magic Your Way Package,” including hotel accommodations and theme park tickets for only $1,390 and get the Disney Dining Plan free, based on adult double occupancy at a select Disney Value Resort in a standard room, Disney’s Old Key West or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. That’s the equivalent of $58 per person, per day based on two adults, one junior and one child. Bookings must be made by June 21, 2009.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Royal Caribbean announces some changes!

This was an email that I received from Royal Caribbean---


With 20 ships currently in service around the globe and two magnificent ships under construction, Royal Caribbean International® has always regarded the optimum enjoyment of all our guests worldwide as a top priority. We consistently review valuable guest feedback to ensure that we are able to continuously improve our services while keeping the base price of a Royal Caribbean International cruise essentially the same for nearly a decade. In that process, we constantly measure and evaluate the satisfaction of our guests.

To enhance the onboard experience, Royal Caribbean International has recently initiated a variety of programs including:

MyTime DiningSM, which allows guests more flexibility to dine according to their own schedule, and My Family Time DiningSM, which provides young children an expedited 40 minute dinner experience and an escorted return to the Adventure Ocean youth programming facility so that parents can continue to enjoy dinner at a leisurely pace.

Pre-cruise booking of shore excursions and beverage packages and advance reservations for specialty restaurants.

Upgraded suite services and amenities including preferred seating and reservations, exclusive in-stateroom culinary treats, concierge lounge access, upgraded furniture and more.

An enhanced departure process which provides a quicker and more seamless experience for guests at the conclusion of the cruise, while extending access to their staterooms on the morning of departure.

New programming for kids and families, such as Crayola® Beginnings art, Sitters at Sea, Babies 2 Go!, Fisher Price® toy lending, Stroll & Roll, and more.

Pool-side towel service which eliminates the need for a guest to remember to bring towels from their stateroom.
Starting July 1st there will be some changes to our Crown & Anchor® Society benefits based on member feedback and our recent enhancements. Crown & Anchor® Society members will continue to receive their most valued benefits such as discounts on cruises, savings certificates and priority embarkation and debarkation. Our Platinum and Diamond members also will continue to receive discounts on suite category staterooms including the recently introduced upgraded services and amenities for suite guests.

Keeping your feedback and cruise experience in mind, some of the changes that will occur include:

A new Ultimate Value Booklet with coupons for various onboard amenities.
An upgraded wine tasting event at a special price.
A new special event, hosted by our ship officers, for Diamond and above members to meet and mingle with other fellow members, and featuring complimentary wine, champagne and hors d'oeuvres.
Due to limited capacity, the Concierge Lounge has not been able to accommodate our growing membership, challenging our ability to provide the optimum experience for our guests. Therefore the Concierge Lounge will now be accessible to our suite and Diamond Plus guests only. Diamond Members cruising on Freedom class, Oasis of the SeasSM, and Allure of the SeasSM will continue to be able to experience exclusive access to a dedicated Diamond Lounge on these ships, which feature a complimentary 'happy hour' from 5:00-8:30pm daily.


If you have any questions about the new changes or would like info on any Royal Caribbean cruise, please email me at mindy@myvacationlady.com

Please remember that we have the summer of 2010 locked up! My Vacation Lady is holding special rates on every summer sailing of the Explorer of the Seas sailing from Bayonne during the summer of 2010. We alsohave special rates throughout this summer, fall and winter each offering $75 or more in shipboard credit per cabin.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

2010 Summer Cruises from Bayonne and NY- lowest rates!

My Vacation Lady has the lowest locked in rates on every sailing from the end of June to the first week of September 2010 on the Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne. It is sailing 5 nites to Bermuda and alternates with 2 nine nite itineraries. One spends 2 days in Bermuda then a day in Nassau and a day in CocoCay, Bahamas. The other spends 1 day in Bermuda, San Juan, St Maarten and St Thomas- all from the convenience of sailing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ.

We also have locked in rates on select sailings for the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda sailing from Bayonne and the Holland America Veendam sailing from Manhattan.

The beauty of booking early is that your cabins are locked in and IF rates come down before final payment and you are eligible for the reduced price, My Vacation Lady will get the prices reduced. You are in a Win-Win situation.

Anyone booking into any of these 2010 sailing from the NY/NJ area by 4/15/09 will receive a $50 on board credit as an early booking bonus!

Please email me at mindy@myvacationlady.com for more info!

Friday, March 20, 2009

How cheap does a bad vacation have to be to be OK?



They both look good, don't they?
One is what you'll get plus service, experience and expertise.
The other is what you'll get booking online.

Which would you prefer?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Royal Caribbean teams up with Universal Studios

Royal Caribbean, Universal Orlando Offer Land-Cruise Packages
Published on: March 18, 2009
Royal Caribbean International and Universal Orlando Resort have partnered to offer Way More Than a Cruise packages. Bookings for the package are open for travel starting March 31. The land and sea packages combine a three- or four-night stay at Universal Orlando Resort with a three- or four-night Bahamas cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas or a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas. Besides a cruise and hotel accommodation, the packages include multi-day passes to Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, admission to select live entertainment venues at Universal’s CityWalk, and ground transfers between the airport, hotel, theme parks and the ship at Port Canaveral. Participating hotels are the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the Hard Rock Hotel. Hotel guests enjoy a variety of special theme park privileges, including free Universal Express ride access, by showing their valid hotel room key cards.


Those booking a Monarch of the Seas Bahamas cruise with the package will visit Nassau, as well as at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island paradise. Beginning in May, clients will be able to book a 10- or 11-night land and sea package by combining a three- or four-night stay at Universal with a seven-night Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Freedom of the Seas. The Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes three days at sea and calls at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; St. Maarten; and CocoCay. The Western Caribbean itinerary features two days at sea and calls at Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach on the north coast of Haiti.

Do you have plans for August 22, 2010?

Yes it is a bit far out but I am escorting a group of cruisers to Bermuda on the Celebrity Summit departing Bayonne on 8/22/10 and returning on 8/29/10.

I have very favorable locked in rates, plus on board credits plus a wine and cheese reception. I will be setting up some group excursions that you might want to participate in and I am working with the Bermuda Tourism board for some complimentary admission passes to some great attractions.

Call me at 732-418-0819 or email me at mindy@myvacationlady for more information!

New Ships to Bermuda on Sale Now

I am thrilled that the NY/NJ metro region will have 2 new ships coming in 2010 to sail to Bermuda for 7 night cruises. Not that I don't love the Explorer of the Seas but spending more time in Bermuda is even better.

As I mentioned before, the Celebrity Summit, in my opinion, is the best choice since it sails from Bayonne (great for us lazy Jerseyites who don't want to cross the river and the parking is sooooooo much cheaper!). In addition to that, the food and service on Celebrity is great and it has lots and lots of balcony cabins! My Vacation Lady has teamed up with Celebrity cruises to offer an early booking bonus on any of the Bermuda 2010 sailings. If you book before 4/15/09, we will add a $25 on board credit to your cabin. This is in addition to other amenities which may be available on other select sailings.

The Holland America Veendam is the perfect smaller and more intimate ship for those avid Bermuda fans who want to dock in both Hamilton and St George. I have a number of spring, summer and fall sailing dates with some locked in prices and extra amenities. Please call me for details at 732-418-0819. My Vacation Lady is also offering a value added coupon book for any Holland America cruise booked by 3/30/09.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Carnival offers Cash Back!

Carnival Offers Cash Back on Summer Departures

Carnival Cruise Lines is launching a new promotion offering cash back of up to $240 per stateroom for a wide range of departures this summer. The new promotion is available in conjunction with virtually all three- to eight-day summer departures, including voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico from 14 North American homeports. Bookings must be made between March 9 and May 10 to qualify for the promotion, which is valid with the line’s “Fun Select” advance-purchase discount fares. The cash-back option is provided as a shipboard credit that can be redeemed onboard. Guests will receive a $100-per-stateroom shipboard credit on three- and four-day cruises, $150 on five-day voyages, and $240 for six-, seven- and eight-day sailings.


The shipboard credit is automatically applied on guests’ Sail & Sign accounts when they board their cruise and can be redeemed toward shore excursions, spa treatments, supper club reservations, gift shop items and a variety of other shipboard purchases. Unused funds at the end of the cruise will be returned to guests on debarkation day in the form of a check. The new promotion is capacity controlled and applies to new individual bookings for stateroom categories 4A to 11.

Call me at 732-418-0819 to take advantage of this promotion and others offered by Carnival for your next cruise.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Disney Cruises - kids 1/2 off!

Disney Cruise Offers Half-Price Kids Fares this Spring
Published on: March 9, 2009

Disney Cruise Line launched a “Kids Sail for 50 Percent Off” offer. This offer is available on all Disney itineraries, including three-, four- and seven-night sailings to the Bahamas and the Caribbean from Port Canaveral. Guests 12 and under can sail for half the price of prevailing cruise rate as quoted by Disney Cruise LIne when accompanied by two full-fare paying guests within the same stateroom.

This offer is valid for most sailings from March 26 through May 14, and covers all stateroom categories. While the cruise fare with this special offer is half price for guests 12 and under, guests who book will be responsible for government taxes and fees for all stateroom occupants, including those 12 and under.

This offer is available on all Disney Cruise Line itineraries, including the new seven-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary featuring Tortola, St. Thomas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. The Disney Wonder operates three- and four-night Bahamian itineraries.

Please remember that this offer is based on availablity so please call me early to book your family on the Disney Cruise!
732-418-0819

Friday, March 6, 2009

Cruise to Bermuda from NJ and NY in 2010

Two new cruise ships will be cruising to Bermuda from the NY/NJ area in 2010 on 7 night itineraries and I'm very excited about it.

The Celebrity Summit and the Holland America Veendam will be joining the Explorer of the Seas and the Norwegian Dawn in sailing to Bermuda from our area during the spring, summer and into the early fall of 2010. What a welcome addition!

The Summit is a wonderful ship- the sister ship to the Celebrity Constellation, Infinity and Millennium. These ships are approximately 90,000 tons and are easy to navigate with enough room not to feel too large or too small. The Summit will be bringing in a more upscale cruise experience with a great family atmosphere. Celebrity is known for wonderful food and service, which I can attest to. The Summit will be alternating the summer itinerary with a 7 nite cruise to New England and Canada so call me for more info. I have specials rates on some key summer sailings!

The Holland America Veendam is the perfect sized ship to dock in Hamilton and St George and will be the first ship to do so in many year from our area! She will be undergoing a major renovation later in 2009 to include new LANAI cabins. These cabins will now have a sliding glass door from the cabin leading out directly to the promenade so that you can get the feel of a balcony cabin without the higher cost. Sophistication and service are what Holland America is known for and the Veendam will be a great addition to the ships sailing to Bermuda in 2010. I also have special rates on key sailings in May, June, July, August and September so give me a call to lock in your cabin now.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Would your non profit charity like to do some fund raising?

My Vacation Lady is looking for some worthy non profit charities and organizations to work with on a great fund raising concept--- Cruising for Charity!

Whether your organization is looking for a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars to continue their good work, Cruising for Charity can help. With as few as 5-8 cabins sailing together on select cruises, the charity can earn one free cruise fare. The more cabins that sail together, the more the organization can earn. With as few as 10-16 cabins sailing together, the organization can earn 1 free stateroom.

Your organization can choose to receive the dollar value of the free cruise(s) as a contribution or they can raffle it off for additional fundraising dollars.

Either way, My Vacation Lady will work directly with the organization to coordinate and market the Cruise for Charity with flyers, brochures and other promotional material. The cruisers will have the chance to relax and enjoy all of the amenities of a beautiful cruise ship and the organization will reap the benefits of the fundrasing dollars.

There are some restrictions and fine print but I can tell you all about that before we set up your Cruise for Charity. I have other fundraising ideas for your organization as well.

Contact me at mindy@myvacationlady.com for more information on how your organization can earn fundraising dollars to continue its good work.

Cruise for free with only 5 cabins booked!

MY VACATION LADY has been able to take advantage of a promotion from Royal Caribbean on some of the Voyager class and Freedom class ships! If you have a small group- you only need 5 cabins (double occupancy), your cruise fare can be FREE! In addition, each cabin comes with a minimum of $75 on board credit and the My Vacation Lady price guarantee*.

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to Bermuda- 5 nites 8/15/2009

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to the Caribbean 9 nites 8/20/2009

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to Bermuda 5 nites 8/29/2009 (GREAT PRICING)

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to Bermudda 5 nites 9/26/09 (GREAT PRICING)

Independence of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean 6 nites 12/6/09 (GREAT PRICING)

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to the Caribbean 9 nites 12/11/09 (GREAT PRICING)

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to the Caribbean 9 nites 2/5/2010

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to the Caribbean 9 nites 2/26/2010

Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral to the W. Caribbean 7 nites 3/7/10 ($100 OBC)

Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale to the Exotic Western Caribbean 7 nites 3/7/10 ($100 OBC)

Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale to the W. Caribbean 7 nites 3/14/10 ($100 OBC)

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne to the Caribbean 9 nite 3/19/10

Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral to the E. Caribbean 3/28/10 ($100 OBC)

Contact me at mindy@myvacationlady.com for more info on how you might be able to sail for free.

Even if you don't have 5 other couples or families to travel with, you can still take advantage of some great rates and on board credit!

*My Vacation Lady Price Guarantee- if the cruise line reduces the price of your cruise before you make final payment, and you are eligible for the newly reduced price, My Vacation Lady will have the prices reduced. Examples of eligible fares would be resident rates, senior rates or a standard reduction in price. Certain fares (such as cabin guarantee fares, FLASH sales, Happy Hour Sales, etc.) may not qualify for group bookings.