Travel Agent - January 7, 2008 - (Page 85)

Contest winner Cindy Cardella of Fairfield, NJ, christens the Norwegian Gem as (from left) ship captain Mikael Hilden; Tam Sri KT Lim, chairman of NCL parent Star Cruises; and Colin Veitch, NCL’s president and CEO, look on Who says you can’t have it all? Fast and fun or laid back and lazy, whatever you’re into, you’ll ⇒nd it at Breezes. And it’s all included. An endless array of land and water sports. All meals and drinks. All entertainment. All in some of the most romantic, tropical destinations on earth. When you start with the best beaches, everything else is a breeze. Gem of the Ocean NORWEGIAN GEM, THE NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE SHIP THAT JUST ENTERED SERVICE late last month, is offering an alternative to the usual Caribbean cruises out of Florida. The 2,400-passenger ship is based in New York through mid-April, operating a variety of itineraries to the islands, including the Bahamas. “I remember one time I had about 30 people who wanted to cruise to the Caribbean out of New York and I just couldn’t make it happen for them,” says Bob Kleppick of Global Pathfinders Travel in Spring, TX. “With these itineraries, I think people are going to be very interested and I think agents won’t have a tough time selling this at all.” The new ship also has some exclusive accommodations to offer clients. A so-called “ship within a ship” on the top level features two Garden Villas with their own private gardens and sundecks; 10 Courtyard Villas that share a courtyard, pool and sundeck; and two Deluxe Owner’s Suites. The Gem departed on its inaugural cruise December 22. Its first two sailings were sevenday trips to the Bahamas. This week, the vessel is on its first Caribbean cruise, an 11-day itinerary that embarked January 5. It will alternate 10and 11-day southern Caribbean routes (calling at five or six ports) through a February 6 departure. It then resumes New York-Bahamas cruises for the rest of the winter. “It looks like [the ship] is offering more port-call itineraries,” says agent Kleppick, a certified Caribbean specialist. “People will be interested in that, and people always love traveling to New York to the Caribbean without having to fly to get there.” —JOE PIKE For information on air-inclusive designer vacations from the SuperClubs Collection visit: breezes.com or call your tour operator or 1-800-Go-Super (467-8737). For information on our Getaway Guarantees, visit us online and click: Jamaica • The Bahamas • Curaçao Dominican Republic • Brazil 1914-10/07 CONNECTING YOU For more details on Norwegian Gem cruises, visit www.travelagentcentral.com/gem Interested? Request #014. January 7, 2008 TravelAgent | 85 http://breezes.com http://breezes.com http://www.travelagentcentral.com/gem

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - January 7, 2008

Travel Agent - January 7, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe: Top Hotels in the Czech Capital, Prague Europe News & Notes Pacific/Asia: India's Tourism Boom Hawaii Spas: Send Your Spa-Loving Client to these Havens of Relaxation in the Islands Hawaii Briefs Las Vegas: Restaurants are Taking Center Stage as Vegas Becomes a Destination for Foodies California: San Diego, La Jolla and Coronado Offer a World of Options Close Together Ski/Snowboard: Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada New Orleans: Hotels for All Types of Travelers and Can’t-Miss Events to Consider Central & South America: Selling Santiago, Chile Caribbean & Bahamas: The Reef Atlantis, Cape Eleuthera Debut in the Bahamas in Time for the New Year Caribbean News & Notes Cruises: Onboard Enrichment Programs Grow as Cruisers Seek to Work on More than their Tans Cruise Lines Expand the Variety in their Shore Excursions with Special Activities and Adventures Cover Story: A New Era for Classic Luxury Travel Expo & Home Based Travel Agent Expo: Photos and a Recap of the Events Rail: Company Books Private Train Trips Agent Profile: Dave and Christa Krick, Advantage Cruise & Travel in Northern California Technology: XML Enhances Sabre and Amadeus Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Onsite Reports from Queen Victoria Christening and Marriott Headquarters Funjet Vacations NCL’s New Ship, Norwegian Gem The African Country of Djibouti In the Spotlight Editorial Index Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - January 7, 2008

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