Luxury Cruises At Discount Prices !!!

Luxury Cruises At Discount Prices

Glut of High-End Ships
Leads to Surprising Bargains;
Valet Service for Your Luggage
By EVAN PEREZ
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL


Luxury cruises, long a staple of the "if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-
afford-it" world, are starting to put something new in their ads:
prices.

Thanks partly to an ill-timed building frenzy in luxury ships, cruise
companies are cutting prices to help fill their berths. While still
pricey by regular cruise standards, the savings can be as much as 50%
off the list price for some trips to destinations such as Barbados.
These ships typically offer everything from butler services to caviar
on demand.

The wave of discounting means travelers who have longed to see how the
other half lives now can do it without paying full price. Seabourn
Cruise Line, which runs intimate 200-passenger yachts, has $1,999-per-
person, seven-day Barbados cruises. That's a deep discount from its
$4,495 published fare, and also its previous $2,697 discount fare.
Among the perks: Valet service that picks up your luggage at home.

Crystal Cruises, known for gourmet meals -- its newest ship, Serenity,
has a sushi restaurant with signature dishes by celebrated chef Nobu
Matsuhisa -- is selling 11-day Panama Canal cruises for $1,695 per
person, down from the usual $2,995.

The reason for the discounting: A glut of luxury ships were ordered
during the booming '90s, only to come into service this year as
travelers were staying away amid terrorism fears, shipboard virus
outbreaks and the sluggish economy. Altogether, by January, the luxury
lines will have added more than 4,000 berths -- a nearly 50% jump in
just over a year, according to Seatrade Cruise Review, an industry
publication. The 2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, due to
launch in January, is already siphoning off affluent passengers.

For travelers put off by the mainstream cruise lines, with their 3,000-
passenger megaships and belly-flop contests in the swimming pool, the
luxury lines offer a more exclusive environment. Typically the ships
are much smaller -- as few as 100 or so passengers in some cases -- and
routinely have a crew to passenger ratio of nearly one-to-one. (It's
closer to three-to-one on mass-market ships.)

And forget about stuffy, windowless cabins. Often the suites come
equipped with features such as whirlpool tubs, complimentary minibars
and 24-hour room service. Silversea Cruises puts Bulgari toiletries in
its bathrooms. SeaDream Yacht Club promises flexible itineraries,
meaning its 110-passenger ships leave and arrive their home ports on a
schedule, but the captain is free to change some of the ship's
intermediate schedule based on passenger tastes. Smaller luxury ships
can slip into tiny harbors in the Greek Islands, or dock just blocks
away from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This is the time of year when cruise lines traditionally offer some of
their best discounts, but the deals are especially attractive this time
around. Consider the Radisson Seven Seas line (which among other
things, has ships with a balcony in every room): In a bout of
unfortunate timing, it launched its new 700-passenger Seven Seas
Voyager right in the middle of the Iraq war. Now it's selling two-for-
one Key West and Bahamas cruises, including a three-night cruise from
Fort Lauderdale for $595 to $2,195 per person.

Next July, Dr. Mark Gettleman, of Scottsdale, Ariz., plans to surprise
his wife for her birthday with a Mediterranean cruise sailing on the
Crystal Serenity from Athens. "I would not be cruising if I had to pay
brochure prices," he says.

The best deals are in the southern Caribbean, where the glut of ships
is particularly noticeable this winter, and the Panama Canal, which is
still not well-known among travelers.

With the economy showing signs of improvement, the bargains might not
last much longer. Many in the industry expect business to bounce back
somewhat when the traditional holiday booking season begins in earnest
in January. Luxury cruises make up only about 5% of the cruise
business, but they produce some of the highest per-passenger spending.

While some mass-market cruises sound like a bargain by comparison, they
often lure passengers with lead-in prices as low as $199, but then
charge full price for everything from poolside pina coladas to soft
drinks at lunch. Prices at many luxury lines already include all that,
as well as tips.

Within the luxury segment there are differences in ship sizes, cabins
and onboard activities. Seabourn, a luxury unit of cruise giant
Carnival Corp., and Carnival-owned sister brand Windstar Cruises run
200-passenger and 300-passenger ships, with Windstar drawing more
active vacationers who prefer to go kayaking or sailboating.
Silversea's ships can slip into exotic ports such as tiny Portofino, in
Italy.

Some luxury lines are doing a bit of a makeover to combat a snooty
image and expand their appeal beyond their traditional base of well-to-
do retirees. Seabourn is introducing more "adventure" shore excursions,
including one that lets passengers climb to the top of the 1,650-foot
high Harbour Bridge in Sydney. (Participants are first required to pass
a breath test for blood-alcohol level.) Crystal has relaxed its dinner
dress requirements, cutting back on formal nights that require gowns
and tuxedos.

Unfortunately, this article needs a couple of clarifications:

Seabourn
Cruise Line, which runs intimate 200-passenger yachts, has $1,999-per-
person, seven-day Barbados cruises. That's a deep discount from its
$4,495 published fare, and also its previous $2,697 discount fare.
Among the perks: Valet service that picks up your luggage at home.


Valet luggage service is offered at a substantial add-on. This is not
a free service!


The reason for the discounting: A glut of luxury ships were ordered
during the booming '90s, only to come into service this year as
travelers were staying away amid terrorism fears, shipboard virus
outbreaks and the sluggish economy. Altogether, by January, the luxury
lines will have added more than 4,000 berths -- a nearly 50% jump in
just over a year, according to Seatrade Cruise Review, an industry
publication. The 2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, due to
launch in January, is already siphoning off affluent passengers.


The number of 4,000 berths includes the QM 2 with 2,620 berths.
Unfortunately, just a few of those berths on the QM 2 fall in the
category luxury cruises, as is the same on the QE 2. The overwhelming
majority of berths in both ships is just typical mass market quality.


This is the time of year when cruise lines traditionally offer some of
their best discounts, but the deals are especially attractive this time
around. Consider the Radisson Seven Seas line (which among other
things, has ships with a balcony in every room): In a bout of
unfortunate timing, it launched its new 700-passenger Seven Seas
Voyager right in the middle of the Iraq war. Now it's selling two-for-
one Key West and Bahamas cruises, including a three-night cruise from
Fort Lauderdale for $595 to $2,195 per person.


Most early cruises on the Seven Seas Voyager, April to August, were
sold out, I cannot find anything unfortunate about that fact. The
three night cruise mentioned is nearly sold out. Minimum category as
of 10/29/03 is cat. C starting at $1,095, plus $90 port and handling
fees, per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy (not
including our discount or any past passenger discounts).


With the economy showing signs of improvement, the bargains might not
last much longer. Many in the industry expect business to bounce back
somewhat when the traditional holiday booking season begins in earnest
in January. Luxury cruises make up only about 5% of the cruise
business, but they produce some of the highest per-passenger spending.


Clients buying luxury cruises do that usually regarless of the state
of the economy. General uncertainty has been the #1 reason for softer
cruise sales for the 4th quarter of 2003. Caribbean and Panama Canal
luxury cruises have always been the lowest priced in the luxury cruise
market. There are still some deals to be had. But generally speaking,
rates have already gone up considerably for other itineraries.


Silversea's ships can slip into exotic ports such as tiny Portofino, in
Italy.


This could also be done by the yachts of Seabourn, the SeaDream
yachts, and the smaller Radisson Seven Seas vessels.


Wolfgang Petrusch
www.deluxevoyages.com