February Newsletter 2022

Greetings!

Greetings from the Beautiful Caribbean!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Before revealing our current sailing experiences, we believe it necessary to discuss the significant misinformation blathered about in main-stream and social media regarding cruising and the supposed “heightened risk” assessment issued by the CDC. Zane Kirby, President and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) rebutted the misconceptions with the following statement: “An increase in reported COVID cases on cruise ships should surprise no one given the worldwide spike driven by the highly-transmissional omicron variant. The difference between enjoying a cruise vacation and visiting your local grocery store or restaurant, however, is the extraordinarily stringent measures put in place voluntarily by the cruise lines, in close consultation with the CDC.”
 Further he writes, “If the average cruise ship was a U. S. state, it would be the safest in the country – by far (emphasis ours). According to the Royal Caribbean Group, since cruising restarted in the U. S. in June, 2021, its ships have carried 1.1 million guests with 1,745 people testing positive – a positivity rate of 0.02 percent. Among U. S. states as of January 4, Alaska’s positivity rate is the lowest at 9.4 percent with Georgia’s the highest at 38.7 percent.”

River cruising is as equally safe as ocean cruising, maybe even more so. A Travel Agent Central article entitled “Facts about Cruising” by Susan J. Young reveals the safety of river cruising. For evidence she writes that Avalon Waterways operated more than 100 cruises in 2021 with an average of 150 guests. Every passenger was tested prior to disembarkation with no positive Covid 19 cases aboard any of its ships.

Now, having opined about the safety of cruising, we pivot to our current adventure. We have actually joined our 11-Night, “Ultimate Caribbean & The Americas” cruise on the Celebrity Constellation. It is our first cruise in exactly two years. This adventure has helped us provide some insights into cruising in a Covid world, and we commence with pre-cruise preparations.
 
Celebrity App: All cruise lines have an app to make boarding easier, and we found the Celebrity app easy to navigate. We uploaded our vaccination cards, photos, passports, and completed the Health and Safety Questionnaires.

Flights: Since we were booked on domestic flights, we did not need to submit anything to the airlines either pre-cruise or post-cruise even though we would be out of the country—the airlines don’t know where we went after we landed in Tampa on our outbound flight. We did take the precaution of arriving in Tampa two days prior to the cruise providing some cushion for delays and cancellations, a recommendation we make to all.

Pre-Cruise Testing: Prior to boarding, we had to take a Covid test showing negative results before we were allowed on board. We ordered our self-administered tests and brought them with us to Tampa. We contacted the testing agency the day prior to boarding to satisfy the requirement of a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours of embarkation. The testing was a simple process, and we had our results in 15 minutes. We recommend this type of testing ONLY if you can assure yourself of a strong internet connection while working with the testing agency.

Embarkation: We arrived at the terminal a few minutes earlier than our 12:30 pm boarding time, completed the brief Wellness Check, and absolutely breezed through the terminal. We were in our fave, aft-facing balcony stateroom in no time. Of course, Frank knew that after all these years of being the Captain of the Muster Drill, his position was relegated to the scrapheap of history—there is no muster drill. Instead, we watched a video on our stateroom TV, and, drinks in hand, moseyed to our muster station to check-in. That was it! Time for Sail-Away!

Ports: a few days prior to embarkation, we received notification of a change in itinerary. In the ever-evolving Covid world, original itineraries will be modified according to what ports are open. So, while we were not able to visit Cartagena, a city we truly enjoy, we were redirected to Belize which is beautiful. We had no changes to any of our other ports-of-call. There were many shore excursions offered and the ones we selected were all good.

On-Board: The Constellation has a passenger capacity of 2170; the number of passengers on this cruise was 849, representing 39% capacity, so we enjoyed lots of open space, short lines, and plenty of social distancing. Yes, masks are required in all indoor public spaces, something for which many of us have become accustomed. The experience on a ship that is so empty is fabulous and we realize these sailing conditions won’t last forever.

The service is “over the top” beginning with embarkation at the port, to our stateroom attendant and all dining staff. Everyone is delighted that passengers are on board again and crew and staff are grateful, happy and attentive.

Spa: Ooooooh, Ahhhhhh a hot-stones massage—beyond blissful!!! Obviously the spa is open and waiting for you.

Dining – Food has been fabulous. We tried Le Petit Chef at Qsine and loved this unique, entertaining animated dinner experience. The Chef’s Table was extraordinary from the food to the wine to four wonderful travelers who were with us at dinner (we made new friends). Dinner at the Tuscan Grill was also great. The buffet experience is different now, as your plates are served by attendants. 

Entertainment – No waiting for seats for any show and they were all “top notch". Pools and Jacuzzis are all open.

We are having a phenomenal experience; it is sooooo good to sail again. Ready to get on board or take a land tour? Let us help you get there!
 
So, where in the world do you want to go?

Betty & Frank Villani

(909) 980-6040
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Galapagos Islands
Limited Offer!
Celebrity is offering free air and significant savings on select Galapagos package sailings. You must book by February 28, 2022 for sailings through December 30, 2023. If you have not visited this truly magical paradise, this is a great opportunity to do so. These are small ships and are all inclusive experiences. Please contact us now for best selection.
Royal Caribbean
Wonder of the Seas
The World's Largest Cruise Ship
Sails March 2022
12 Night Ultimate Southern Caribbean Cruise
March 13 -25, 2022
or
April 3 - 15, 2022
Aboard Celebrity Equinox
Round trip - Ft Lauderdale
Visit these beautiful ports:
St Croix,
St Kitts,
Barbados,
St Lucia,
Grenada,
Dominica,
Antigua
7 Day Bermuda Cruise
Roundtrip from New York
NCL Getaway
April 17 - 24, 2022
Enjoy Bermuda in all its springtime glory on this 7-day round-trip sailing from New York. Discover a vibrant underwater world on a glass-bottom boat tour. Climb to the top of Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse, one of the oldest cast-iron lighthouses in the world, for incredible views. Build your first-ever pink sandcastle. And be sure to sip traditional afternoon tea with sandwiches and scones.
Includes 2 overnights in Bermuda!
14 Day Western Mediterranean & Adriatic Medley
Athens to Rome
aboard the Regal Princess
June 4 - 18, 2022
7 Day Mediterranean Cruise
Round trip - Rome
Italy, France & Spain
NCL Epic
June 21 - 29, 2022
7 PORTS OF CALL
  • Rome (Civitavecchia),Italy
  • Naples,Italy
  • Florence/Pisa (Livorno),Italy
  • Cannes,France
  • Palma,Majorca
  • Barcelona,Spain
  • Ajaccio,Corsica
  • Rome (Civitavecchia),Italy
Join Us!
10 Days - 6 Ports
Iceland & Greenland
Round trip Reykjavik
NCL Norwegian Star
July 25 - August 4, 2022
Space is filling up quickly for this amazing itinerary!
  • Reykjavik Iceland
  • Qaqortoq Greenland
  • Nanortalik Greenland
  • Seydisfjordur Iceland
  • Akureyri Iceland
  • Isafjordur Iceland
  • Reykjavik Iceland
12 Day Alaska Cruisetour
August 6 - 17, 2022 
Vancouver to Fairbanks
The cruisetour includes the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Whittier with scenic cruising in Glacier Bay and College Fjord aboard the Sapphire Princess. Also included are the train from Whittier to Talkeekna, 2 nights at the McKinley Lodge, 2 nights at the Denali Lodge, and 1 night in Fairbanks.
7 Day Alaska Cruise
Round trip - Seattle
NCL Encore
August 28 - September 4, 2022
Visit these beautiful ports:
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Juneau, Alaska
  • Skagway, Alaska
  • Ketchikan, Alaska
  • Victoria, British Columbia
  • Seattle, Washington
10 Day Baltic Cruise:
Germany, Russia & Sweden
September 3 - 13, 2022
NEW! NCL Prima
7 PORTS OF CALL
  • Amsterdam,Netherlands
  • Berlin (Warnemünde),Germany
  • Tallinn,Estonia
  • St. Petersburg,Russia
  • Helsinki,Finland
  • Stockholm,Sweden
  • Copenhagen,Denmark

Includes an overnight in St Petersburg
Join Us!
14 Nights Cruise
South America /Antarctica
Roundtrip - Buenos Aires
January 14 - 28, 2023
We will sail on the Celebrity Infinity which received a total refurbishment (revolutionized) in 2020. Ports include Ushuaia, Argentina; Port Stanley, Falkland Islands; Puerto Madryn, Argentina; and Montevideo, Uruguay.
The cruise includes a
circumnavigation of Cape Horn and the following destinations in Antarctica: Schallat Channel, Paradise Bay, Gerlache Strait, and Elephant Island. We will be planning a pre-cruise trip to Iguazu Falls visiting both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the falls.
7 Night Caribbean Cruise
On the New Celebrity Apex
January 21 - 28, 2023
Round trip - Ft Lauderdale
Visit these ports aboard Celebrity's newest ship and experience The Magic Carpet!

Key West
Cozumel
Belize
Grand Cayman
Join Us!
April 18 - May 1, 2023
16 Days
Classic South Africa with Victoria Falls & Botswana Tour
  • All intra-flights: Cape Town-Durban, Johannesburg-Victoria Falls & Kasane-Johannesburg
  • 14 nights accommodations: 4 in Cape Town, 1 each in Hluhuwe and Swatini, 2 each in Hazyview, Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and Chobe
  • Hotel taxes, fees & service charges
  • Hotel porterage
Special Features
  • Enjoy a tour of Cape Town, view the Castle of Good Hope, the Grande Parade and visit Table Mountain
  • Tour historic Robben Island*, a World Heritage Site and view the former prison cell of Nelson Mandela
  • During the Cape Peninsula Tour, visit the Cape of Good Hope reserve and view the penguin colonies at Boulders Beach
  • Game Viewing Cruise on the St Lucia Estuary, a uniquely diverse ecosystem
  • 26 meals: 14 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
  • Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
  • Game drives in modern 10-seater safari vehicles
  • Services of English-speaking tour guide throughout
  • Entrance Fees per itinerary
  • Game drive through Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
  • A thrilling game drive in an open-vehicle through Kruger National Park
  • In Soweto, the most metropolitan township, visit Nelson Mandela’s former home
  • Visit spectacular Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Enjoy a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River
  • Game drive through Chobe National Park, in northern Botswana
  • Sunset game viewing cruise on the Chobe River
Join Us!
Western Mediterranean Cruise
Celebrity Reflection
Barcelona to Rome
July 8 -17, 2023
Join Us! on this 9 night cruise aboard the beautiful Celebrity Reflection!
We'll visit some of our favorite ports, including Provence and NIce, France as well as an overnight in fabulous Florence.
909-980-6040