JoeyandDavid

Are you talking about the ones that are embedded with the micro chip? Here is a great article about that http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1209/p12s01-stct.html

As you guys know we tend to book early.. 50 % of our choices aren't currently available, but i want to be ready to pounce when it is .. My question is simple.. Should we go on the new Century for our first TA adventure to Amsterdam a ship which we love or upscale our Cruise experience and try Oceania Cruise Lines ... What would you do? Joey

Hi Welcome to Cruise Crazies! The friendliest Board on the net!

Good morning Robert .... Sometimes the justice, (IMHO) should be as simple as the bad apples get thrown out with the garbage... I am currently under the impression, we as a society; breed these type of individuals, when we adopt the win at ALL costs attitude. Many consumers are ripe for the plucking..... Example... How many times a month do you think people shop somewhere and never read the receipt, happily assuming it is correct, after all it was a compter that tabulated it...... My congratulations go to the consumer!! Stand Up People... Joey

Have you got yours?

 The membership of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) is exceedingly concerned with the implications of the current phased-in passport deadlines under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The potential negative travel and business impact of the January 8, 2007, deadline for air and sea passengers could be mitigated with a single, delayed unified deadline for all modes of travel. The cruise industry’s highest priority is safety and security and we support the government’s effort to enhance border security by requiring a single, standardized identification document, (e.g. passport). However, there is no basis for treating travelers who travel by air or sea any differently from those who travel over land borders, and having two different sets of rules, depending on one’s mode of travel, is extremely confusing to travelers. Having a unified implementation date for all modes of travel will give much needed time to the federal government, the travel industry, and most importantly, the traveling public, to adapt to the new passport program. The Western Hemisphere includes the regions that are the most heavily visited cruise destinations in the world, accounting for 75 percent of all cruise ship visits, with a total of 8.36 million passengers of which approximately 90 percent or 7.5 million were U.S. citizens. Currently, the State Department estimates that less than 30 percent of all Americans have passports. A recent survey* of the cruise lines found that only 30-40 percent of U.S. passengers on short cruises in the Western Hemisphere (two to five days) currently have passports. On longer voyages, the number of U.S. citizens traveling on cruises with passports only increases to a total of 50-65 percent. Taking a cruise is typically a group vacation and if one individual or more does not have a passport, it could deter the entire family or group from taking a cruise. The survey showed that 65 percent of groups traveling to and from U.S. ports have at least one member who does not have a passport. “If you’re thinking of taking a cruise in the near future, it’s a good idea to go ahead and purchase a passport now if you don’t already have one,†said Angela Plott, ICCL vice president. “It’s best to be prepared.†The ICCL has been actively working with the U.S. government to find the proper way to implement WHTI. The industry supports delaying the date until it can be implemented without seriously affecting travel, including Congressional efforts to amend the law. We pledge to continue to work with policymakers to ensure efficient and secure travel across our nation’s borders and through its seaports. Per the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the 2004 Intelligence Reform law, all U.S. citizens are required to have passports for travel within the Western Hemisphere (Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda) by January 1, 2008. To implement the law, the Departments of State and Homeland Security proposed a phase-in program referred to as the WHTI. As set in the notice of proposed rulemaking, the deadlines for U.S. citizens to obtain a passport are: • January 8, 2007 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air or sea travel within the Western Hemisphere. • January 1, 2008 – Passport or other accepted document required for all U.S. land border crossings. * conducted by ICCL with its member lines for passengers carried in 2005 and the first quarter of 2006 <]

ARLINGTON, Va. (Aug. 31, 2006)  The North American cruise industry generated $32.4 billion into the U.S. economy in 2005, an increase of nearly 8 percent over 2004, contributing to the economy of every state in the nation. In an annual study commissioned by the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA) found that the cruise industry supported more than 330,000 jobs nationwide and paid a total of $13.5 billion in wages and salaries to Americans in 2005. Cruise lines, their passengers and crew were responsible for a total of $16.2 billion in direct spending on U.S. goods and services last year – $1.5 billion, or 10 percent, more than in 2004. The industry’s direct expenditures supported nearly 143,000 jobs and paid $5.2 billion in wages and salaries, an increase of 5.6 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively. BREA noted that while growth in embarkations was not as robust in 2005, global spending on a per passenger basis rose from $1,553 in 2004 to $1,667 in 2005, up 7.3 percent. “Last year was challenging due to weather disruptions and fewer new ships delivered,†said ICCL President Michael Crye. “Through those challenges, however, the cruise industry remained a robust economic resource in 2005, benefiting the U.S. economy with $32.4 billion – $4 billion more in goods, services and wages than it spent in 2004.†The study noted that direct economic benefits to the U.S. economy derived from five main sources: • Spending by cruise passengers and crew for goods and services associated with a cruise, including travel to the port of embarkation and pre- and post-cruise vacations; • Shoreside staffing by cruise lines for U.S.-based headquarters, marketing and tour operations; • Purchase of goods and services necessary for cruise operations, including food and beverages, fuel, hotel supplies and equipment, navigation and communication equipment, etc.; • Payments for port services at U.S. homeports and ports-of-call; and • Maintenance and repair of cruise ships at U.S. shipyards and capital expenditures for port terminals, office facilities and other capital equipment. The $16.2 billion in direct purchases for goods and services for cruise operations by the North American cruise industry benefited the economies of all 50 states. Benefits to states from cruise line purchases included air transportation, food and beverages, ship maintenance and refurbishment, engineering and travel agent commissions. Economic impacts were concentrated in 10 states that accounted for 77 percent of the total U.S. impacts: Florida, California, New York, Alaska, Texas, Georgia, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Illinois. Indirect economic impacts included expenditures by cruise line vendors and businesses that supply goods and services to passengers and crew. For example, food processors purchase raw foodstuffs, electricity and water to run equipment and process raw materials, transportation services to deliver finished products to cruise lines or wholesalers, and insurance for property and employees. In 2005, the cruise industry experienced a more moderate rate of capacity expansion than in recent years. Four major new cruise ships were launched, but the size of the North American fleet remained unchanged at 192 vessels as an equal number of ships were withdrawn from the market. Due to larger newbuilds, capacity grew by 2.2 percent for a total combined capacity of 245,755 lower berths. Overall occupancy rose to 106 percent in 2005, due in part, to passenger rescheduling after a number of cruises were canceled during the hurricane season. U.S. ports continued to handle 75 percent of all global cruise embarkations in 2005. More than 8.6 million cruise passengers began their cruises from U.S. ports, an increase of 6.3 percent over the previous year. Globally, demand for cruising remained strong in 2005, and the industry increased passenger carryings by 6 percent over 2004 to 11.5 million passengers worldwide. U.S. residents totaled 9.1 million, or 79 percent, of global passengers. The top 10 cruise embarkation ports – Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, Los Angeles, Galveston, Tampa, New York, Long Beach, Seattle and New Orleans – accounted for 84 percent of all U.S. passenger embarkations. Higher 2005 embarkation numbers were posted by Miami (5.3 percent), Los Angeles (30.9 percent), Galveston (22.1 percent), Tampa (6 percent) and Seattle (18.2 percent).

MIAMI, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move to further expand its European and Latin American operations, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL; Oslo) today announced its agreement to purchase Pullmantur S.A., a Madrid-based cruise and tour operator. Royal Caribbean expects the acquisition to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2006, subject to regulatory approvals. Pullmantur, formed in 1971, is the largest cruise operator in Spain. It has two primary business interests: cruises and tour operations. Its cruise division consists of five ships operating in Europe and Latin America. Its tour operations sells travel packages to Spanish guests - including hotel and flights - primarily to Caribbean resorts, and sells travel packages to Europe aimed at Latin American customers. Pullmantur also has a small air business that operates three aircraft in support of its cruise and tour. Pullmantur has offices in Spain and Portugal, with approximately 2,600 employees, and will be Royal Caribbean's first wholly-owned European brand. Royal Caribbean has signed an agreement with the shareholders of Pullmantur to buy all of the capital stock of the company for 430 million euro, plus Pullmantur's net debt of approximately 270 million euro. Royal Caribbean has obtained a committed bridge facility to support the purchase. As part of the transaction, Pullmantur will be withdrawing from all Cuba- related activities prior to closing. "Pullmantur offers a terrific strategic opportunity for Royal Caribbean to further grow our presence in the European and Latin American markets in a major and tangible way," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "We have made significant inroads into these regions through our Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises brands, and this combination will allow us to accelerate our growth in these markets. Pullmantur will remain an independent brand under the Royal Caribbean umbrella, keeping its distinctive and successful customer experience." "Our partnership with Royal Caribbean is a bold strategic move that will enable us to further grow our highly successful brand," said Alfonso Lopez Perez, general manager of Pullmantur. "This is an excellent opportunity to align ourselves with one of the world's largest and most successful companies in the travel industry. We are very familiar with Royal Caribbean, and I know our two organizations will both benefit from the combination." Royal Caribbean expects this acquisition to be neutral to marginally accretive to 2007 earnings per share and accretive thereafter. Regarding 2006 earnings, the company continues to expect full year Net Yields to increase in the range of 3% to 4% as compared to 2005, and earnings to be in the range of $2.90 to $3.00 per share, excluding any impact from Pullmantur. Additionally, the company now expects earnings for the third quarter of 2006 to be in the range of $1.55 to $1.60 per share, based on slightly stronger yield expectations of an increase of approximately 3% over the third quarter of 2005. The exact impact of Pullmantur on the company's fourth quarter earnings depends on the timing of the closing and finalization of acquisition adjustments. Since the fourth quarter is traditionally Pullmantur's weakest quarter, any impact is likely to be negative. The company has scheduled a conference call at 1 pm Eastern Daylight Time today to discuss the purchase and outlook update. The dial-in numbers are: Domestic - (877) 874-9961, and International - (706) 634-0610. The call can also be listened to, either live or on a delayed basis, on the company's investor relations web site at www.rclinvestor.com. Terminology Net Yields Net Yields represent Gross Yields less commissions, transportation and other expenses and onboard and other expenses per APCD. We utilize Net Yields to manage our business on a day-to-day basis and believe that it is the most relevant measure of our pricing performance because it reflects the cruise revenues earned by us net of our most significant variable costs. We have not provided a quantitative reconciliation of projected Gross Yields to projected Net Yields due to the significant uncertainty in projecting the costs deducted to arrive at this measure. Accordingly, we do not believe that reconciling information for such projected figures would be meaningful. About Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, with a combined total of 29 ships in service and six under construction. The company also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe through its cruise-tour division. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebrity.com or www.rclinvestor.com. About Pullmantur S.A Pullmantur S.A., founded in 1971, is a Madrid-based cruise and tour operator. With five ships in service, the company is the largest cruise operator in Spain. It has offices in Spain and Portugal, with approximately 2,600 employees, and targets both European and Latin American guests. Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, vacation industry competition, including cruise vacation industry competition, changes in vacation industry capacity, including over capacity in the cruise vacation industry, the impact of tax laws and regulations affecting our business or our principal shareholders, the impact of changes in other laws and regulations affecting our business, the impact of pending or threatened litigation, the delivery of scheduled new ships, emergency ship repairs, negative incidents involving cruise ships including those involving the health and safety of passengers, reduced consumer demand for cruises as a result of any number of reasons, including geo-political and economic uncertainties, the unavailability of air service, armed conflict, terrorist attacks and the resulting concerns over safety and security aspects of traveling, the impact of the spread of contagious diseases, our ability to obtain financing on terms that are favorable or consistent with our expectations, changes in our stock price or principal shareholders, the impact of changes in operating and financing costs, including changes in foreign currency, interest rates, fuel, food, payroll, insurance and security costs, the implementation of regulations in the United States requiring United States citizens to obtain passports for travel to additional foreign destinations, weather, and other factors described in further detail in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition, certain financial measures in this news release constitute non-GAAP financial measures as defined by Regulation G. A reconciliation of these items can be found on our investor relations website at www.rclinvestor.com.

They have added a bunch of tours for Costa Rica, still nothing for Panama :sad:

The bail was more than the amount of theft......Some TA's :sealedlips: :rolleyes:

Cool so far thats 3 events...... It's almost time to start our private group page.....

Now that is Scary......

Frosty Congrats on your Docs!!

Hi Welcome to Cruise Crazies!! Hope to see you posting often!

Hi Welcome to Cruise Crazies!! Hope to see you posting often!

Hi Welcome to Cruise Crazies!! Hope to see you posting often!

gail we have BA only to get to and from American so our bags are checked thru to destination... we are allowed 2 @50ea

Shannon now sounds like fun.... kewl tradition!

Hey Margaret ~ Speaking of Packing how is it coming? Any solutions? it does look like they are lifting some of the restrictions..What is AA telling you ? Joey

David loves the art auctions.. I like to nap on our verandah

Hereeeeeee's Johnny.....................<]

January 29th? cool.... Chris of Chris and Mike who are Traveling with us (they have the stateroom next to ours 9162)...Chris 's birthday is Feb 3rd... so thats two occasions so far... Cheryl.. anything in your party? Avie hows Betty today?

When we did Tortola, we too were on HAL, we did the Oosterdam ..if memory serves me HAL had an simple island tour ... in an open bus setting it was like 30 dollars a person.. and he drove you all over the island getting pictures of the wall that murals the story of the island...even giving you a chance for refreshments... Very simple tour as i recall .. but it was fun...

Just a reminder to all Captains Club Members .. Specialty dining may now be reserved by calling the club directly.. IF WE DO IT.. we will be opting for Santorini

Documents Normally arrive 30 to 45 days out .....if everything is paid in full.. Airing out luggage? We are on our 2nd repack.. LOL david usally does 3 different packings for our cruises.. oh well it makes him happy... :wink: