THE RIGHT PRICE…………….$1,799
November 7, 14; Miami to Barcelona, 15 nights, Celebrity Solstice.
Bonus: two nights at the end in Barcelona, plus one-way airfare back to Miami.
Contact: Online Vacation Center
All prices are per person based on double occupancy and available at time of posting.
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More evidence that cruising is growing arrived yesterday, when Carnival Cruise Lines released its second-quarter financials. The increase in sales was $247 million, or 8%.
It was accompanied by this statement from Carnival CEO Micky Arison: “Considering recent global economic concerns and other world events our advance bookings are holding up reasonably well and remain in line with our expectations. We believe this will lead to earnings growth in both the third and fourth quarters. The summer season, which is our strongest and most important quarter of the year, is shaping up particularly well.”
Besides its namesake cruise line, Carnival also owns Holland America, Cunard, Princess, Costa, Seabourn, P&O and Ocean Village. So if Carnival’s well-being is not a barometer of the state of the industry, what is?
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The attraction of celebrities continues to grow on cruise ships. Crossing our desk yesterday was a Royal Caribbean cruise on Freedom of the Seas next February with four NFL stars of the past, the biggest of them Leroy Kelley,
the Hall of Fame running back from the Cleveland Browns.
Other retirees (as in pro football retirees, that is) on the ship are also enshrined in Canton: cornerback Lem Barney (Detroit), tight end Charlie Sanders (Detroit) and defensive end Elvin Bethea (Houston).
The cruise is a week long, tours the Caribbean, has rates starting at just under $1,200 per person and seems to include everything (like gratuities). Any profits go to a scholarship foundation in the name of Sanders, for two college scholarships a year. The Freedom of the Seas leaves Port Canaveral on February 13th.
Hmmm…just after the Super Bowl.
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That’s it, we’re done.