Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 - (Page 57)

cruise roundtrip from New York (there is also an option to debark in Southampton six days earlier than the April 26 finish date). Highlights include a transit of the Panama Canal and stops in Dubai; Phuket, Thailand; and Aqaba, Jordan. Queen Victoria’s most lavish suites are the Grand Suites on Deck 6 (The Mauretania Suite, No. 6194 and The Laconia Suite, No. 6203) and Deck 7 (The Aquitania Suite, No. 7142 and The Berengaria Suite, No. 7159). Each measures approximately 1,918 to 2,131 square feet (balcony included) and is serviced by a personal butler. Other amenities include special access to the Queens Grill (the top dining option onboard), priority embarkation and disembarkation and access to the Queens Lounge. The top-of-the-line suites on sister ship Queen Mary 2 are the Balmoral (No. 9069) and Sandringham (No. 9078) Grand Duplex Suites at 2,249 square feet a piece. Each composes two decks, 9 and 10, and offers the same amenities as the Grand Suites on Queen Victoria. Though the subsequent luxury lines may not carry the history of Cunard, they handily make up for it in their luxury deployment. Crystal Cruises’ 14th annual world cruise in 2009 on Crystal Serenity departs January 21 from Los Angeles and ends May 7 from its origin: a total of 106 days. It’s the first time in seven years that Crystal’s world cruise begins and ends in Los Angeles. The cruise will also feature five maiden calls: Rangiroa, French Polynesia; Napier, New Zealand; Komodo, Indonesia; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; and Petropavlovsk, Russia. In anticipation, Crystal has rolled out many extra perks and savings. For the first leg—Los SEABOURN ODYSSEY ‘s Penthouse Suite pops with vibrant colors amid luxe touches. Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand—Crystal is offering free air back to the U.S. and is waiving the fuel supplement. Further, guests who book two segments of the world cruise receive a $200 per person onboard credit and two complimentary shore excursions. Luxury cruisers may have the wealth to afford world cruise rates, but we feel they appreciate the added bonuses cruise lines extend. Hint: We recommend utilizing Crystal’s door-to-door baggage service (www.luggagecon cierge.com/crystal) to alleviate the stress of shuttling luggage through the airport. The service is particularly great for luxury clients coming from the East Coast. While all the accommodations on Crystal Serenity are luxe, the best ones are the four Crystal Penthouses with verandas on Deck 11 midship (Nos. 11023 and 11025, starboard side, and Nos. 11026 and 11028, port side). At 1,345 square feet, these accommodations offer all the standard suite amenities one would imagine, but niceties such as the Bang & Olufsen sound systems and bathroom bidets put these suites over the top. ADVISOR INSIGHT: Greg Nacco, vice president of Cruise Specialists, deals in the sale of many world cruises. “There is no magic bullet when it comes to selling world cruises. If it were easy, quick and simple, everyone would be doing it. “World cruise clients are nuggets of gold. They are precious, rare and take a lot of work to be mined. For the most part, world cruise passengers and the would-be world cruise passenger are savvy and sophisticated travelers; they have been around the block once or twice and typically have a keen idea of their likes and dislikes. “The key to successfully selling a world cruise is really not to sell, but to listen and advise. Again, these people are smart and experienced. They can read all the websites and brochures that you can. As an advisor, you must get to know the customer, use your industry knowledge and expertise to differentiate the products and provide insight as to why one world cruise or segment matches up better with their experiential expectation. If you do this, you will not only make the booking, but the customer will come back to you again and again.” Trying to top Crystal is an effort, but Regent Seven Seas Cruises has Crystal beat in breadth. Regent offers not one, but two world cruises for 2009 on Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner. The former departs Los Angeles on January 13, winding down in Fort Lauderdale on May 8. The cruise is being touted as the “Grand Circumnavigation World Cruise” and is also being offered in seven different segments. Many of the segments feature famous guests. Consider the 12-night Shanghai-to-Singapore leg departing March 6: Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will be onboard to revel guests with her tales of jurisprudence. The 700-passenger Seven Seas Voyager’s top-suite category is the two-bedroom Master Suites. There are four on Deck 7 (Nos. 700 and 701) and Deck 11 (Nos. 1100 and 1101). The suites include private butler service, which is quickly becoming as customary as in-room WiFi in www.luxuryta.com September 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 57 http://www.luggageconcierge.com/crystal http://www.luggageconcierge.com/crystal http://www.luxuryta.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Provence India Alvear Palace Hotel Oceana Santa Monica English Country Houses Chewton Glen Summer Lodge Chilston Park Hotel Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago Park Hyatt Milan Intercontinental Montelucia Jackson Hole World Cruises French Riveria Spas Voluntourism Vacations Signature Travel Network The Pulse Profile Luxury Travel Expo Sightings Source List Leaders Speak

Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008

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