Sherman's Travel

Royal Caribbean is in negotiations to begin featuring El Salvador on its upcoming 2012 cruise circuit. The Central American destination, which has been trying to position itself on the cruise tourism radar, citing its surfable beaches, ecotourism sites, Mayan ruins, and comparative affordability amongst its lures, is currently under-served by the industry (though a handful of cruise lines like Hapag-Lloyd and Fred Olsen have/are testing rare calls upon the nation). The arrangement seems to be a win-win for the country, cruise line, and passengers alike, with aims of providing an economic boost to the nation via its port of Acajutla on the Pacific Coast, as well as offering Royal Caribbean cruisers access to an off-the-path destination that can’t be experienced elsewhere.

What do you think, Cruise News readers? Would El Salvador be an intriguing port of call to you?

Avoid the dreaded double occupancy demands made by most cruise lines and seek out instead the small smattering of companies that actually cater to the single traveler. Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) sleek new Norwegian Epic made waves last year with their 128 “Epic Studios,” designed specifically for single occupancy – the line has announced that the cabins proved such a hit that they’ll be more to come on NCL’s next two ship debuts. Royal Caribbean recently joined ranks, with its revamped Radiance of the Seas rolling out in June with the line’s first single cabins, though far less impressive than NCL’s attempt, counting only three in number, and windowless at that.

Read more

People have always had a fascination with the legendary RMS Titanic, and now Fred Olsen cruises is allowing passengers to go back in time to that fateful day to relive the famous ocean crossing (only without the whole iceberg thing). April 12, 2012 will mark the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of Titanic, and even though there’s still three years to go, tickets are already on sale for the 12-night cruise aboard the Fred Olsen Balmoral that will follow the same path as Titanic, from Southampton to New York City.

Why the Balmoral? Would Cunard’s brand new Queen Elizabeth – which launches in 2010 be a better choice? It certainly has the look, but Fred Olsen has ties to Harland and Wolff – the company that built the original Titanic. During the ocean crossing, the Balmoral will offer cuisine that matches the menus of yesteryear, musical entertainment from that era, and historians who are fluent with the story of Titanic, beyond the tale of Kate and Leo.

For more information, visit:

http://www.titanicmemorialcruise.co.uk/