Cruises Discounted First Quarter 2012 : T360Travel Classifieds., Travel Articles,

A Message From the Chairman of Vacations to Go

It's a special week and my favorite time of year. I'd like to start today by wishing all of my readers a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a joyous holiday season.

If you are fortunate enough to be cruising this week, you might want to check out my personal tribute to Clement Clarke Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, so you'll know just what to expect.

Airports are crowded every year at this time, with two kinds of travelers: people visiting family or friends for the holidays and people heading out on vacation. Perhaps the luckiest people of all are the ones doing both.

My friend, Jim, falls into the "luckiest" category. For Christmas, he and his wife are taking their entire family -- children, step-children and grandchildren -- on a Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. I asked him how he decided to plan such a trip, and here's what he said:

"Our guests have a very wide range of ages, from 5 years old to 56. Some of the adults have young children, some have adult children, and some have no children, so there are diverse needs to satisfy to insure a great vacation for everyone.

"A very large ship like Freedom of the Seas will have plenty of activity and fun for everyone, from the oldest to the youngest. Additionally, the itinerary, the sail date and the length of the cruise fit our group perfectly."

Jim's far-flung family will convene in Port Canaveral this week, on a ship that resembles a floating amusement park. On sea days, they can sample the surf simulator, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, mini-golf course, basketball court and 3-D movie theater. At night, fine dining and Broadway-style entertainment await, plus the magic of being at sea.

If the idea of cruising over the holidays -- with or without the family -- sounds appealing, it's not too early to start thinking about next year. Christmas cruises typically sell out earlier than other dates, especially triples, quads and even larger staterooms that some families require.

More than 80 cruise ships will be in the Caribbean next Christmas, with options for a wide range of budgets and itineraries ranging from four to fourteen nights. Many other vessels will have repositioned to the southern hemisphere for the season. It's the best time of the year to cruise in South America, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and parts of Asia.

For a list of 2012 Christmas & New Year's cruises in the Caribbean and Bahamas, click here. To see your options in all other regions of the world at that time, click here.

Silversea is offering our customers deeply discounted rates, up to 79% off, on certain cruises departing between January and June 2012. Silversea is one of only four 6-star cruise lines, offering the finest of everything at sea. These incredible discounts are limited, and subject to availability. Click here for dates and prices.

Here's a list of specialty cruises, discounts and resources we offer. Some are available only to certain types of travelers, and others are available to all Vacations To Go customers. Click the links below for more information:

Age 55+ Rates
EMT Discounts
Firefighter Discounts
Grand Voyages
Hosted Singles Cruises
Interline Rates
Military Rates (U.S. and Canadian)
Past Passenger Rates
Police Discounts
Regional Deals
Teachers' Rates
Travelers with Special Needs

Discount programs like these can be issued or withdrawn at any time by the cruise line, and are not normally combinable with one another. Always tell your Vacations To Go cruise counselor if you qualify for a military or interline discount, are a past passenger of the line you are calling about, or if anyone in the cabin will be 55+, so that he or she can make sure to check for any additional discounts to which you may be entitled.

Here are today's Top 10 Cruises, brand new specials from the world's best cruise lines. Click the FastDeal # for details.

1) Caribbean, 7 nights on Celebrity, departs San Juan Mar 10, starting at $529, save 63%, FastDeal # 30197

2) Bahamas, 7 nights on Carnival, departs Baltimore Jan 29, starting at $479, save 73%, FastDeal # 17897

3) Caribbean, 7 nights on Royal Caribbean, departs New Orleans Jan 28, starting at $409, FastDeal # 26424 (Royal Caribbean does not provide brochure rates for this cruise, so we are unable to show a savings percentage.)

4) Mediterranean, 9 nights on Norwegian, departs Barcelona Feb 18, starting at $499, save 55%, FastDeal # 32923

5) Caribbean, 7 nights on Princess, departs Fort Lauderdale Mar 3, starting at $549, save 27%, FastDeal # 13512

6) Mexico, 7 nights on Carnival, departs Long Beach Jan 29, starting at $459, save 74%, FastDeal # 18562

7) Caribbean, 7 nights on Holland America, departs Fort Lauderdale Feb 25, starting at $549, save 50%, FastDeal # 13475

8) Transatlantic, 8 nights on Cunard, departs New York Mar 16, starting at $595, save 63%, FastDeal # 30323

9) Tahiti/French Polynesia, 7 nights on Paul Gauguin Cruises, departs Papeete Feb 18, oceanview starting at $3,097, save 64%, FastDeal # 23773

10) Asia, 10 nights on Seabourn, departs Singapore Feb 6, suite starting at $3,599, save 66%, FastDeal # 17038

For the best last-minute cruise specials in the next 90 days, click here.
To search for discounts on cruises departing more than 90 days from now, click here.
For escorted tours worldwide, or air/hotel packages to London or Paris, click here.
For hotels in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda or the Bahamas, click here.
Para visitar a nuestro sitio web de cruceros en español, haga clic aquí.

Once you've found a FASTDEAL, call us toll free at 800-338-4962 (US and Canada) and a cruise counselor will attend to your needs. International customers, please e-mail or call us at +1-713-974-2121.

Please e-mail me your comments, suggestions and questions at alanfox@vacationstogo.com and I will respond the same day.

To send one sample copy of this newsletter to a friend, click here.

Sincerely,

Alan Fox
Chairman & CEO
Vacations To Go
5851 San Felipe Street, Suite 500
Houston, TX 77057