A Great Time To Vacation

Baby it's cold outside!!

Now is a great time to get away to some place warm, say a Caribbean Cruise. There are some of the best deals I have seen on cruising right now!

Can't get away now! What about a 7 night Bermuda Cruise from Baltimore June 7 on NCL's Majesty? I have cabins available from only $650.00 Per person but they are going fast!!!

That’s the Spirit:
A Multi-million Dollar Makeover.

In the spirit of all things bright and beautiful, NCL’s popular ship, Norwegian Spirit has been undergoing a multi-million dollar refurbishment focused on enhancing the guest experience.
This total renovation to its public areas, staterooms and suites includes:
• 11 new staterooms, eight of them with balconies
• All new seating in the Stardust Theater
• All new upholstery throughout the ship
• All new carpet in public areas, stairwells, suites and staterooms
• All new wallpaper installed in suites, corridors and public areas
• New curtains installed in all suites
• Refurbishment of all open decks including the main pool, kid’s pool and four hot tubs
• Upgrades throughout the Roman Spa & Fitness Center
• Installation of a state-of-the-art wireless phone system

Following the recent makeover, Norwegian Spirit has just begun a series of 21 seven-day Exotic Western Caribbean cruises from New Orleans, her homeport for the winter season, with calls in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala; and Belize City, Belize.

Today, NCL has the youngest fleet in the industry with 12 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising® ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed cruise vacation on the newest, most innovative ships at sea.

Skip In the Catonsville/Arbutus Times

 
James “Skip” Chipps, shown reflected in one of the framed destination posters in his Halethorpe home/office, said he is confident area residents will continue to plan vacations, even though the economy is declining. (staff photo by Matt Roth)

Travel agents urge fast action to get away as economy slows

Cruises touted as good deal for consumer

By Marcia Ames
Posted 1/07/09


It takes more than a chilly economy to keep prospective vacationers from finding a hot deal, according to some area travel agents.

"I think travel is doing very well," said James "Skip" Chipps, a Halethorpe resident and 10-year veteran of the industry.
Operating his own business, Your Way Holidays, from his Mineral Avenue home since 2007, Chipps is recommending cruise vacations in particular for this year.
Richard Purdy, who manages Peirson Travel Services on Catonsville's Frederick Road, agreed with Chipps that a cruise offers good value with food, lodging and transportation combined.
"(Many) people don't want to fly," he said, on another bonus to hopping a ship.
With four cruise lines -- Carnival, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian -- operating from the Port of Baltimore this year, southwest Baltimore County residents can leave heir homes and usually arrive at their ship of choice in less than half an hour by car.
"Cruising out of Baltimore -- you can't beat it," Chipps said.
"My vacation started 10 minutes from my house," he said of a trip he made to Bermuda.
With the Port of Baltimore cruise season beginning in late April, budget-minded travelers have time to save money for an onboard vacation.
Chipps said it is not unusual for his customers to book one or two years in advance.
"They are working it into their budgets," he said. "It's almost like putting a vacation on layaway."
Both he and Purdy say they expect the demand for their professional services to remain afloat through 2009 and beyond.
Nor do U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, which show a 2008 decline in travel and tourism spending, prompt these agents to jump ship for another profession.
"People need vacations. They'll still take vacations. They'll just want to make sure that what they're paying for is what they want," said Chipps.
Chipps said he prides himself in knowing his products.
A registered member of Cruise Lines International Association, he routinely visits the port to inspect the amenities he is selling.
"When ships come in, I go down and look at them," he said. "We check things out over and over."
With Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., a popular destination among his clientele, for example, he attended the College of Disney Knowledge.
"I've earned my ears," he said of the Mickey Mouse-style graduate cap he received for completing the online training program Disney offers licensed travel agents.
Just as Chipps has focused on learning the ins and outs of the cruise industry and Disney vacations, Peirson offers specialized service in the "niche markets" of assisted travel for seniors and people with disabilities, Purdy said.
Founded by Bridget Peirson in 1975, the agency affiliated in 2004 with Living in a Free Environment, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that offers a variety of services to developmentally disabled adults.
Agents say such experience and attention to current information differentiates them from their major competition, the non-agency travel resources available online.
"Our competition is not from other agencies. It's the Internet," Purdy said, noting the common practice for many travelers to book plane, train, cruise ship or hotel reservations directly online.
"But we have faithful clientele and much of our business is repeat," he said, citing the Catonsville-based Charlestown retirement community as another important source of Peirson's travel clients.