nycruiser80

No, it was the Amerikanis and the Galileo of Chandris Fantasy Cruises. I sailed both of those ships in 88 and 89 and they provided a boxed lunch even if you were not on a tour. You called to have it arranged and they would provide you with one. The Galileo ended up becoming Meridian for Celebrity Cruises when Chandris started up Celebrity Cruises in 1990.

This post brought back memories. When I first started cruising in the late 80s as a kid, I remember Chandris Lines (the founder of Celebrity Cruises) offered such a service. They provided a boxed lunch for when going ashore. I remember sailing on them from NY to Bermuda in the summer and they would offer this. I remember eating fried chicken on the beach out the red striped box they provided us. Of course, it was a different time then. Cruising was different as was the laws found in many destinations.

If you think of it another way, the commission they pay travel agents is then reallocated in the case of a direct phone booking, to the Princess agent. The Princess agent gets paid a salary plus they get paid a small commission albeit smaller than a TA for making your booking. Also, the Princess agent may be getting healthcare benefits as well. In the end, someone is getting paid to book your cruise. I’m assuming internet bookings are a bit different as the overhead for internet bookings is different though I’m sure Princess outsources the internet booking capabilities to another company. Then in that case some of the commission that would be paid to a TA goes to that source.

I was a travel agent and left about 10 years ago. NCL used to offer group fares for a minimum of 5 rooms/10 berths on certain sailing, but again this was 10 years ago. Not sure if they offer such an arrangement. The tour conductor credit is typically the average cruise fare of all passengers. If my memory serves me right, some lines send the credit right before sailing or after the sailing in the form of a check. If you use a travel agent to do this, you will still receive the tour conductor credit if the group requirements are met. Often times groups are eligible for points which you can cash in for OBCs or other amenities for the group. But again, things I am sure have changed since I last left the profession.

Sailed on Magic last August from NYC to Bermuda and I had a great time. Before that, the last time I sailed with Carnival was back in 2009. The Magic was in great condition for my cruise last year. My only gripe was the noise above the aft cove balcony cabins. Next time I need to bring some earplugs but I loved having a cove balcony. That was the highlight of the cruise for me!

I’m booked on the Diamond Princess July 10, 2023 sailing so I am departing in 8 days. The app stills says to check back closer to my sailing. I’m not concerned and will just show up whenever. I don’t think their app is all that reliable anyway.

One deception was the lack of wind!!