I really enjoy reading other blogs – especially when they’re entertaining and fun to read. One of my favorites happens to be John Heald’s blog.

If you don’t know John, you probably should if you’re part of the Travel Industry. John’s the Senior Cruise Director for Carnival Cruise Lines and started blogging back in March of 2007 about his experience on Carnival’s latest and greatest ships. According to John (and I have no reason to doubt this) in that three year span he’s had over six million visitors to his site. Many have become loyal readers like me.

John came to Carnival in 1985 and has held the position of Senior Cruise Director since 2004. As Senior Cruise Director, he’s had the privilege of being Cruise Director for the last nine ships Carnival has launched. His latest appointment on the Carnival Dream has been – extremely entertaining to say the least.

I’m not one who appreciates British humor as a whole. There are a very select few that I have come to enjoy over the years, and John happens to be climbing up my list of favorites.

It’s not that John doesn’t take anything seriously. There’s plenty of evidence that he does (otherwise he wouldn’t be entrusted with the position he currently holds) but his perceptions about every day activities and customers complaints are a real stitch.

It’s evident to me that John’s blog has become a real labor of love. The time he takes to answer questions, provide insight, and even pull a couple of favors for customers shows a true loyalty to his readership and his company. He’s become a true ambassador for Carnival.

My personal favorites happen to be customer complaints. The more outrageous the complaint, the more outrageous and funnier the response from John. And for me, that’s a trait we all should have. Too many people take themselves and their perceptions far too seriously. How anyone can complain while on a cruise is something I’ll never understand. (They’re on a cruise for goodness sake!)

Everything is neutral and nothing has meaning except for the meaning that you give it. John not only handles complaints in stride, but with humor. He’s not mean or nasty about it any way – but certainly puts any complaint in it’s place with a sarcasm and lightheartedness that everyone could use more of.

John’s become such a prominent fixture in the industry that he’s been invited to open Travel Weekly Cruise & Tour Virtual Conference and Tradeshow at the end of this month. This two day event held on March 30 and 31st will give you an opportunity to hear John via the live webcast designed to promote and educate the joy of cruising with the industries finest.

Regardless if you can make Travel Weekly’s Virtual Tradeshow, you owe it to yourself to check out his blog for insight and a number of good laughs. You and even subscribe via RSS for updates right in your inbox. It’s been a great escape for me, if only for a few minutes, and I always come away with a smile – and to me – that’s what life’s all about.

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I had this scheduled for Friday, but with so much attention on our good friend Andy Cauthen, I decided to bump this back until today.

That being said, this may not be “news” for many who follow the industry closely, but I still wanted to offer up how I perceive this news. For those of you who know poeple who always look at things in a negative light, you might consider making a push to contact these people now, before Carnival’s 5% price increase goes into effect on March 22nd.

According to Carnival’s Press Release:

Carnival Cruise Lines is reporting record wave season bookings, with strong reservations activity for 2010 departures.  As a result of the strong booking volumes, a general price increase will be implemented effective March 22 for all summer sailings in June, July and August.

For the period of Jan. 1 through Feb. 21, 2010, bookings were at unprecedented levels for the line’s 22 ships which operate three- to 15-day voyages from a variety of convenient North American home ports.

Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said, “We’re seeing significantly increased volume as consumers are taking advantage of the incredible value that a Carnival cruise provides. And while pricing hasn’t fully recovered to 2008 levels, we are increasing prices and will implement an across-the-board increase effective March 22.”

He said that the price increases will vary by departure date but will be up to 5 percent.

Cahill attributed the record booking activity to a wide range of factors, including strong travel agent partner support, targeted marketing initiatives, itinerary enhancements and the wide variety of close-to-home departure points.

Wave season typically runs from about mid-January through early spring and is traditionally the busiest, most important booking period in the cruise industry.

Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 15 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England and Europe.

Carnival also has two new ships on order — the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic, which is scheduled for delivery in 2011, and a sister ship set to debut in 2012.

For additional information on the Carnival vacation experience, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

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If by chance you’re thinking to yourself that I’ve lost my marbles over a price increase being “good news” you’ve missed some very key components to Carnival’s message.

Bookings are not only up, but at unprecedented levels. Yes, Carnival made many moves over the last year that helped attract customers, and I don’t want to discount how that played a major role. Cruise customers have seen some very attractive prices in the industry over the last year to 18 months, which some say they’ve not seen in over a decade. Now that the economy is turning around, travelers are once again booking vacations for the upcoming summer season. Because demand is high, the prices therefore go up.

To me, this is another sign that the travel industry is on the mend and it’s good for everyone who works in this industry.

I remember talking with George Dooley this summer before the Convention and the interview we had together. We were talking about how it took one and a half to two bookings to make the same amount of commission in years past because of the lower prices to attract customers. Our total number of booking was in fact up in 2009, but we didn’t reach the same level in commissions from years past due to the lower prices. We worked harder for less money.

It’s good to see prices on the rise again in that regard.

Could the price increase backfire on Carnival? Possibly – but even with a 5% increase, the lines pricing is still below other cruise lines who offer the same itineraries. What’s going to be interesting – or something to look for – is if other lines follow suit. I’m sure Cruise Industry is at least considering a similar move, and those that are showing the same unprecedented levels certainly will announce a price increase in the near future. Those that do, will be the ones to watch as the industry leaders showing the strongest bookings thus far in 2010.

For those that want the bargain basement prices, still have time over the next couple of weeks. If you have some loose ends and quotes out there now, as we do with Carnival, you’ll want to follow up with those people before March 22nd. That is, if you want to offer value to them as an Agent.

Take this as a sign that the industry is following right along with the economic recovery we’re seeing in other sectors – and recovery certainly is good news. Demand is up, and people are looking to take vacations this year.

It’s a much needed “wave” of revenue the industry needs right now.

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With YTB’s Sail-a-thon going currently running with Carnival Cruise Lines until December 5th, I can’t think of a better plug to promote the value of this cruise line. I’ve kept a close eye on our friends at Carnival over the years. Not only has this cruise line been a family favorite for cruising over the years, but I’ve also kept tabs on how they’ve been able to maintain and grow their fleet of ships. While the line has grown over the years, they have also refurbished a number of the older ships to keep them up to date with today’s growing market.

There’s a reason why Carnival is called “The Most Popular Cruise Line in the World” – and Porthole Cruise Magazine just gave the line eight more awards in it’s latest edition to help it maintain this title. Ann Sedgwick is obviously extremely excited about these honors and forwarded the press release to her list this weekend.

Here’s the release for you to not only read, but offer to clients about the value of cruising with Carnival Cruise Lines.

CARNIVAL WINS EIGHT PORTHOLE READERS CHOICE AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST VALUE, BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Line Has Earned Unprecedented 109 Awards Over Past 11 Years – Most In Cruising

MIAMI (November 20, 2009) – Carnival Cruise Lines, the world’s largest cruise operator, took top honors in eight categories, including Best Value, Entertainment and Best Children’s Programs, in the annual Readers Choice Awards sponsored by Porthole Cruise Magazine, the leading consumer cruise magazine.

The awards are based on surveys of Porthole readers who rated their favorite cruise line in a wide variety of product- and service-related categories.

Since the awards were established in 1999, Carnival Cruise Lines has garnered 109 individual honors – the most of any cruise line during this period.

Carnival’s 2009 Porthole Readers Choice Awards include:

• Best Value for the Money Line
• Best Children’s Programs
• Best Entertainment
• Best Shore Excursions
• Best Megaship (Carnival Splendor)
• Best Mexican Riviera Itineraries
• Best Theme Cruises
• Best Web Site

“To be recognized by consumers as the top cruise choice in so many different categories, particularly in areas such as children’s programming, entertainment and value, which are core elements of the Carnival vacation experience, is a truly wonderful honor,” said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival’s executive vice president of marketing and guest experience.

Added Bill Panoff, publisher and editor-in-chief of Porthole Cruise Magazine, “Carnival Cruise Lines appeals to many different cruisers for many different reasons, which is why our readers continually vote them the best in several categories. From ships to onboard amenities to itineraries, the line continues to be a market leader and I congratulate them on their wins.”

Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 12 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada and New England.  The line’s newest ship, the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, made its U.S. debut earlier this month.  Carnival also has one new ship on order, the 130,000-ton Carnival Magic, which is scheduled for delivery in 2011.

For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

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I lost count how many times I’ve said this…but I’m gonna say it again.

A cruise is the best vacation money could buy.

It was nice to have family (including extended family) together for another cruise. Our daughter called it “The best birthday EVER!” and our son has caught the same bug we did some 12 years ago when Ronda and I took our first cruise.

I did hit the internet for a grand total of 25 minutes, but didn’t even open the laptop until almost the very end of the cruise to download a couple gigs worth of pictures that I took. (Some 400 shots all together on a Fuji S9000 camera I just love.) I uploaded about 60 of them on my Facebook page and will get around to putting more up on Webshots at some point. (Then again – I still have pictures from our last cruise I haven’t uploaded.)

The kids have really gotten the hang of cruise thing. Brittany thoroughly enjoyed dressing up for formal night. (So much so, that she had to get all dressed up for her birthday night.) Brian found the ice cream machines and the 24 hour pizzeria and hardly ate anything else the entire week. Camp Carnival was FABULOUS for both kids. When they ask if they can go, you just know it’s a hit. (Which impressed both Ronda and I.) They really had a great time and our hats are off to all the counselors who took great care of our kids.

Our daughters birthday was an exceptional day in Gran Cayman. The entire family got involved on the Cayman Pirate Adventure as the kids and I were recruited to swab the deck (I was given a tooth brush) and “Mommy Spank Bottom” was tied up and forced to promise to never spank the bottoms of our kids again. Afterward, everyone walked the plank and enjoyed the warm tropical water.

Later that evening we celebrated Brittany’s birthday with the family and wait staff of the Universe Dinning room. Brittany loves to be the center of attention any other time, and handled her birthday no differently. The entire ship was told it was her birthday and she ate up all the attention. (As she always does.)

It’s still amazes me how many first time cruisers I continue to run into. We talked with a number of first time cruisers on this trip who raved about the service, the food, and the size of this floating resort. Non of them had any idea what they were missing, and have all been transformed into cruise-a-holics like we are.

While it’s nice being back, I miss the romance and relaxation of the sea. I bit warmer down in the Caribbean as well. We’re already planning our next cruise and may turn it into a neighborhood event. With another Carnival Sail-A-Thon coming up next week, it would be a perfect time to get the neighbors together to discuss the option of going. (More on the Sail-A-Thon here later, and in this weekends newsletter.)

A trip like this one is part of my “why” I stick with YTB.

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By the time you read this, our family will be in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I’ve come equiped with my  “What part of NO do you not understand?” T-shirt which I purchased the last time we were in port here. (For those of you who have been here, you know why we need a shirt like this.) We’ll spend a relaxing day at Bamboo Beach Club since the kids wanted some beach time. (And still too young for Dunn’s River Falls)

Tomorrow is a big day in Grand Cayman. We’ll do a couple of excursions including swashbuckling on a Cayman Pirate Adventure in the morning and then spend the afternoon at Dolphin Discovery and the Cayman Turtle Farm.

Later that evening, we will dine and celebrate my daughters 8th (going on 18) birthday aboard Carnival Destiny.

This particular ship has been the top pick for a number of our clients since it was refurbished and started sailing it’s 4 and 5 day itineraries to the Caribbean from Miami. When Ronda and I were awarded Team MVP by our Directors at Convention and given a Carnival Gift Certificate as a way to say thanks for all we do, I pretty much immediately knew when and were we wanted to go.

Of course, you can’t have a proper birthday party without family involved. So we invited extended family to come along for the party on the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line. (They know a really good Travel Agent who got them one heck of a deal.)

So while you enjoy RPM and Red Carpet Day, we’ll be stuck down here in the Caribbean – thousands of miles away. (And lovin’ every minute of it.)

I’ll probably hit the internet cafe a time or two, but don’t be looking for any posts during the week. Like our newsletter that went out yesterday, this was written and scheduled last week before we left.

To keep you entertained – check out our favorite cruise tune this trip. I’m a classic rock and roller, but Michael Franti and Spearhead’s new tune “Say Hey (I love you)” gave me happy feet the first time I heard it. It’s got a create Caribbean beat and will certainly give you the itch.

So until I get back around the way – Enjoy!

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I don’t know how many of you receive Ann Sedgwick’s weekly correspondence to the field. If you don’t, you need submit a support ticket in your travel portal and ask for her e-mail. It’s loaded with all kind of useful information. I put as much as I can in our weekly newsletter to keep you up to date. If you’re already on the newsletter, you got word of the year round sailings out of Charleston, SC starting in 2010 on the Carnival Fantasy.

Yesterday, I received another a cool piece of news form Ann that I know many you have been keeping an eye on. Carnival took delivery of the brand new Carnival Dream on Friday and makes it’s first sailing this morning to introduce a brand new class of ship to it’s fleet.

Sorry I couldn’t get this in the newsletter, but I received it too late to squeeze it in.

Here’s the correspondence from Ann Sedgwick and Amy Gault.

Hello from Ann and Amy,

We are very proud to report that Carnival took delivery of Carnival Dream on Friday, making this vessel the 23rd ship in the Carnival fleet.

We wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about our new ship, the creative concepts we’ve introduced to the fleet.

Carnival Dream represents a new class in the Carnival fleet!   She combines a capacity to accommodate more than 3,600 guests with some brilliant new innovations, both inside and out.  Our guest experience centers around creating fun, memorable moments in a social and friendly atmosphere.  To that end, we’ve introduced two truly unique spaces – The Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café with live music; and The Lanai, an outdoor area featuring a wrap-around promenade and whirlpools suspended over the ship’s side!  We also offer several new accommodation categories, including the Deluxe Ocean View staterooms – two-bath, five-berth cabins (perfect for families) and Cove Balconies located closer to the water line.  The innovations extend beyond brand new features to include the creation of the largest Cloud 9 spa in the fleet and, of course, Carnival’s own WaterWorks, featuring the longest water slide at sea.

Because we know that fun isn’t just about the actual ship features, we’ve produced exciting new entertainment choices, including a comedy club and outdoor laser shows on Lido Deck.  Also new is the “Fun Hub,” an intranet guest portal and the first-of-its-kind shipboard social network that provides a variety of helpful information onboard and allows guests to interact and connect with each other online.

Monday morning (9/21)  the Carnival Dream departs from Rome (Civitavecchia) for its inaugural 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruise, for the first of three voyages.  The ship will then sail a trans-Atlantic crossing from Rome to New York followed by a special two-day cruise and two eight-day Caribbean voyages.  Carnival Dream will then reposition to Port Canaveral for a special one-time nine-day voyage December 3 before launching year-round seven-day Caribbean service December 12, 2009!

The tremendous support from our travel partners over the years,  have allowed Carnival to grow & build!  No doubt,  our newest  Fun Ship,   will provide your clients  with  fabulous & memorable vacations for many years to come!

We look forward to welcoming your clients on board a Carnival cruise in the future!

Thank you for your partnership.

Warm regards,

Ann & Amy

Your Carnival Business Development Team

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I wanted to do something special this year for Veterans Day. While listening to some of my favorite talk radio shows last week due to the Election, one of my favorite talk radio hosts, Neal Boortz mentioned a link on his web site that he is doing Merry Christmas Marines again this year.

In the last two years Neal and his listeners have sent over 20 Tons of stockings and Christmas goodies to marines serving on the front lines in Iraq and they want to send more this year. They have teamed up and are working with the Marine Corp League and Patty Lewis at Mom4rMarines, to fill over a thousand stockings to be delivered to Marines in Afghanistan this Christmas.

The Marines celebrate their 233^rd birthday this year, yesterday as a matter of fact, and their sacrifices have protected the freedoms we enjoy to this day. It’s important to not only honor them, but thank them for their service to our country.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Carnival Cruise Lines is introducing a promotion throughout November that allows active and retired military personnel to book up to three “Fun Ship” staterooms at discounted rates for themselves and their friends and family members.

Reservations must be made between Nov. 1-30, 2008, to qualify for this special offer, which is available in conjunction with a wide range of three- to 12-day “Fun Ship” departures through Dec. 31, 2009, including voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.

Rates start at $159 per person for three-day cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla., and five-day cruises from New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla.; from $189 for four-day cruises from Mobile, Ala., and Jacksonville; from $309 per person for seven-day cruises from Miami, Galveston, Texas, and Port Canaveral; and from $359 per person for six-day voyages from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The promotion is valid for individual bookings only, availability is capacity controlled and this promotion cannot be combined with any other discount offer. Fare code CPM1 must be requested during the reservations process and military personnel must provide proof of service. Certain other restrictions apply.

If you require assistance for this, please feel free to contact us either via e-mail or the phone number below. We would be honored to service and help any Veteran at any time of the year.

Thank you to all our Veterans!

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