Quality through Adversity

I guess I should tell you what an AZIPOD is before telling you this story.
An Azipod is a relatively new underwater propulsion system, aproximately 15 years old in the cruise ship industry, being used on most if not all of the new cruise ships. The old style of propulsion was an engine in the middle of the ship and a long shaft going through the hull ending at a propeller with a rudder behind it to steer the ship.
An Azipod is like a big torpedo hanging under the back of the ship that contains a big electric motor that turns the propeller attached to the front of it so it is actually pulling the ship through the water instead of pushing it. The entire assembly pivots to turn the ship or even move it sideways. This eliminates almost all the engine noise and the vibration from the old propeller shaft.
Now that you know that, the "NEW IMPROVEMENTS" haven't been without problems. Let me say this here and now, a breakdown of an Azipod has never put a single passenger in danger. There seems to be an unpredictable failure problem with bearings, this has caused Celebrity Cruise Lines to occasional cancel a cruise for some unscheduled maintenance. The most recent is an early December 2006 cruise. So now you should be asking yourself , What is the quality through adversity part. I'm getting to it. One other point I want to make first is that not only am I a "Certified Celebrity Agent" I truly have a lot of respect and admiration for Celebrity Cruise Lines, they are my personal favorite in their category.
Here comes the "Quality through Adversity" part. Anyone who had paid for a cruise on the canceled sailing was given a full refund and a free future cruise of similar length and accommodations, to me that is taking a bad situation and making the best of it. I am sorry for anyone who may miss a cruise but Celebrity is making up for it. Luckily there were a few other ships sailing in the Caribbean at the time with some "Leftovers" available. In fairness to Celebrity Lines, they are NOT the only cruise line to have problems with the Azipod system. All the major cruise lines have experienced similar difficulties. I am still very impressed with how well Celebrity handles the situations when they arise, once again they are "Exceeding Expectations"

Book your cruise early and reap the rewards

Are you a spur of the moment type of person? If so then cruising may not be for you unless you are willing to accept the "Leftovers" or the least desirable cabin categories and locations on the ship. Plan ahead and you get
A. Your choice of cabins,
B. Your choice of location and
C. Your choice of cruise ship and cruise line.
I frequently have to tell clients "That's all that's left" or "That ship is sold out", the reply I get to a statement like that is an unexciting "Well then I guess I'll have to settle for...". You are the best, treat yourself well, plan ahead and reap the rewards having the best. There are many new ships and many new destinations available. Some of the destinations are seasonal like Hawaii, Europe, South America and Alaska. You relay have to plan ahead to get the best availability, I'm not naive and I suspect you aren't either, there will always be some kind of offering for unsold leftovers or lost leaders, don't be fooled into thinking "You can always get what you want" you can't in today's cruise market. You have to plan ahead.
After your selection is made be sure to protect yourself and your cruise with "I Travel Insured" travel insurance, they are our choice of a 3rd party travel insurance company. We are looking out for your best interest by offering "I Travel Insured" travel insurance. I always buy protection when I travel, I like to say "I don't cross the street without the protection of travel insurance" Let me tell you about the benefits sometime.

Seek the assistance of a professional

Are you new to cruising? You may be one of the millions who went on their first cruise this past year. That's right, there were more then one million passengers new to cruising in the past year, or you may be somebody like myself who has been cruising since 1959 observing and enjoying all the advancements made by the industry over the past decades. In either case, unless you are the fortunate recipient of a cruise sponsored and paid for by your company you are burdened with making many important decisions about your next cruise. Where can you go to get reliable and accurate guidance? You are already on the world wide web if you are reading this so you probably see some of the "SEA SPAM" where price, minimum accommodations and probably the wrong date is the prominent ingredient in the unrequested offer. Who can you turn to, it isn't as if you are buying a burrito, this is your vacation that you work hard all year to get and it is your way of saying to your loved ones "This is how much I think of you" if you blow it you are in the dog house. If it is a huge success then so are you. You need an experienced professional you can team up with who has inside information to guide you through making the best buying decision possible. I guess that's where I come in. I am Barry Russo Accredited Cruise Counselor, an industry professional for the past 16 years and an experienced cruiser for almost half a century. Are you asking yourself if you can afford my services? You should be asking if you are willing to risk wasting your vacation dollars on a poorly made purchase