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2009-12-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

Let your festive Spirit Soar with great Cruise
and flight deals from
e-travel.ie in 2010.

Experience the magnificent Royal Caribbean's
Oasis of the Seas, check out our blog here

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Airport	Destination	Airline	Flight Only	Travel Dates
DUB	Las Vegas	Delta	389	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Orlando	Unitied	360	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Brisbane/ Melbourne. Sydney	Etihad	1087	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	New York	US Air	339	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Johannesburg	Iberia	560	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Kiev	Air Baltic	233	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Dubai	Lufthansa	299	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Bangkok	Jet Airways	648	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Manila	Qatar	617	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10
DUB	Bombay	Gulf	483	01 Jan 09 - 31 Mar 10

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Top 10 Cruises

Cruises Line	Ship	Destination	Fly Cruises from	Cruise Only From	Travel Dates
NCL	Gem	7 Night Mediterranean Fly Cruise	589	-	02 May 2010(May bank holiday)
Royal Caribbean	Mariner of Seas	10 Nights Mexican Riviera Fly/cruise	849	-	30th January 2010
Royal Caribbean	Voyager of Seas	7 nt Med Fly/cruise Special	649	-	May 2010 and October 2010
Royal Caribbean	Liberty of Seas	9 nt Eastern Caribbean Fly/cruise	899	-	01 May 2010
Celebrity	Solstice	10 nt Eastern Caribbean fly/cruise Seniors Special	999	486	23 January 2010
Royal Caribbean	Vision of the Seas	9 nt Baltic Cities Fly/cruise	919		03 September 2010
Royal Caribbean	Voyager of the seas	9 nt Western Caribbean fly/cruise	949	-	16 Jan 10 - 30 Jan 10
Celebrity	Summit	9 nt Bermuda & New England	1149	549	02 May 2010
Celebrity	Summit	9 Nt Southern Caribbean	999		05 May 2009
Celebrity	Solstice	9 night Eastern Caribbean Fly/cruise	1249	549	11 April 2010

All prices arfe subject to availablity and include all Taxes

Oasis of the Seas First Look

2009-12-03T04:24:00.000-08:00

Oasis of the Seas…. Has arrived

Never before have I been so impatient about a cruise ship’s debut. Not unlike the anticipation and excitement I felt as a child on Christmas Eve, the months and days leading up to my three night sailing aboard Royal
Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, were filled with eagerness and high expectations. I was awed by the first revelation of “Project Genesis.” Like everyone else I sat at the edge of my seat waiting for hints to be dropped, neighborhoods to be revealed and details to be disclosed. All the while I knew what a dangerous game I was playing with myself as it is often the case that I get myself all worked up over what I consider to be an ultimate experience,only to be disappointed when reality and expectation diverge! But now I have seen her and I can say thank you Royal Caribbean, Oasis of the Seas is everything I hoped she would be! I’d like to share with you my first impressions of her seven neighborhoods during my timeonboard,

Due to a job (very hard) that I was lucky to find myself aboard the three night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. Check in was as quick and efficient as promised in the new and improved Port Everglades, Pier 18 cruise terminal. Despite my numerous cruises on Voyager class and Freedom class ships, I was still not prepared for my first “WOW” moment when I stepped aboard the Oasis and found myself amid the astounding Royal Promenade! The area is wider and more spacious than I imagined it would be, but it is the brightness and airiness that makes the Royal Promenade a truly evolutionary feature of the Oasis. This is due to the Crystal Canopies, giant skylights from Central Park above, that flood the area in natural light.Once again the Royal Promenade will be the heart of the ship featuring guest services, shops, bars, lounges and a variety of spots to get a bite to eat. Several “street parties” take place here.

The area I was most eager to see was Central Park. Could a deck within a ship be transformed into a park of greenery and make me forget for just a moment that I am out at sea? The answer is a resounding YES! That’s because during the planning stages of the Genesis project it was determined that the increased width of the ship would allow the design team to open up the “spine” of the ship to the elements. One such area became Central Park, a lovely outdoor space where guests can stroll under blue skies or dine beneath the stars. Paved paths curve around lush and exotic gardens passing by Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Vintages, and the very special 150 Central Park . The aforementioned Crystal Canopies look like glass sculptures on this level but if you peer down you can check out what’s going on at the Royal Promenade. As pretty as this area is during the day, after dark it becomes a magical and romantic haven.

The other neighborhood of the ship that takes advantage of the open air above is the Boardwalk. Enter an area that epitomizes the playground-on-pilings boardwalk areas found at Coney Island, Its complete with the first ever carousel at sea, ice cream parlor, donut shop, candy shop, and family friendly eateries such as Johnny Rockets and The Seafood Shack. The only thing missing was the ceaseless cacophony of children squealing in delight…sure to be remedied on the first revenue sailing! At the very end of the Boardwalk, set against the backdrop of the ocean, is the amazing Aquatheater. There will be two different shows performed here, but I was only able to see a sampling
of what the talented divers are capable of. Still, the Aquatheater itself does not have a bad seat in the house and I look forward to revisiting! I had the opportunity to check out the balcony cabins that overlook the Boardwalk. Perfect for people watching, a partial ocean view, and fresh air!

I love the whole concept of Entertainment Place! It’s a grouping of “after dark” entertainment venues that give the feel of a night club district. There’s Jazz on 4, Casino Royale and Studio B. A word about the ice show, “Frozen in Time” don’t miss it! Sorry, that was three words. When I saw “Spirits of the Seasons” on Explorer in year, I thought it was incredible. This new show is even better. It’s an interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen popular children's stories such as “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Little Mermaid”. The skating is as always, superb, the costumes colorful and the story, creative and imaginative! Blazes, the disco, is also here and I liked the layout of it a lot, as it’s all on one floor. Right across the way is Comedy Live, a stand up comedy club with décor inspired by a New York subway station. Don’t think dark…its not. Lots of oranges and blues with tables scattered about a small stage. My favorite lounge on the ship, although not located in this area, is Dazzles. It’s elegant and glamorous.Behind the stage is a floor to ceiling glass wall that looks down onto the Boardwalk. The band was playing Beatle’s music on my one-nighter and the dance floor was packed! You’ve got to stop in for a drink!

The Pool and Sport Zone is bigger and better on the Oasis. It stretches out to the entire length of the ship! When you’re up here it feels more like a resort than pool deck! My favorite area was the Beach Pool with its gum drop colored striped loungers and sloping entry into a saltwater pool. The H2O Zone looked like a great area for the littlest of cruisers with its geysers, whirlpools, and colorful squirting octopus. I read that there are a total of 21 pools onboard if you include the whirlpools! There was no time for me to confirm this but I will say I counted lots and lots of loungers! Now that’s good news! Another big “wow” is the Solarium. Until I saw this area, my all time favorite was the Solarium aboard Radiance of the Seas. This area is huge, with pools and palms (unlike trees in Central Park, these were fake), hot tubs, cabana styled chaises and rattan seating groups. The perfect adult only retreat! I should mention my co-workers enjoyed lunch at the Solarium Bistro, where the menu reflects a more health conscious fare.

Timewas of the essence on this cruise so I had to forego the Fitness Center!!!. For your information, it will boast new spa treatments not before found on Royal Caribbean ships and other new-for-Royal Caribbean options such as Kinesis group classes. The spa area also will have a Thermal Suite at sea with heated tile loungers, saunas and steam rooms; three couples massage suites and seven individual treatment rooms. Kids and teen passengers, meanwhile, will find their own dedicated spa on the ship. The fitness center will have the latest cardio and resistance equipment, and offer spinning classes, kickboxing, pilates and yoga. The treadmills and ellpticals are no longer facing a wall of glass looking out onto the ocean and that is something I will miss.

I quickly walked
through the Youth Zone and what I saw was quite impressive. It’s the largest space afloat dedicated to young cruisers. Kids Avenue is a central boulevard with dedicated Adventure Ocean spaces and themed play areas. You will also find a nursery for infants and lots of room for toddlers with plenty of ride on toys! The dedicated science lab will be a hit with school age kids! Now quite honestly, Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean program has always been sensational. As a parent I was always pleased with both the facilities and the exceptionally well trained staff. It is the size of the ship that now allows the program to take it to the next level. You’ll find exciting new enhancements, spaces created and equipped for particular activities, and age appropriate enrichment programs. The Teen Zone looked really cool too! It’s a place I could see my son wanting to check out, even if just to initially meet up with others his age. They could then go off to play basketball, eat, play dodge ball, eat, play ping pong, eat, play mini golf, eat, surf, eat zip line, eat….Well, you get the picture!

Here is a selection of Pictures of the new cabins

So, that was my glimpse of Oasis of the Seas. Absolutely
incredible and certainly worthy of all the hype! I know I skipped over tons of stuff,
including info on the restaurants and the shows. There was just too much to see
and too little time! You however, wouldn’t have that problem. You can take an
entire week to experience all the Oasis has to offer! So that leaves you with a
choice.

Western Caribbean itineraries

Eastern Caribbean Itineraries

Oasis of the Seas

2009-10-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

This week there was lots of excitement in the small city of Turku, located on the southwest coast of Finland. It was on Wednesday, October 28th that STX Europe officially delivered Royal Caribbean their newest Ship…all 225,000 tons of her! Welcome Oasis of the Seas! Today, this amazing floating city, 2,245 crewmembers, and some additional 300 trainers and testers will begin the transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale. At the helm will be Captain William Wright, Senior Vice President of Marine Operations for Royal Caribbean International. You may remember him as the Captain of Freedom of the Seas when that ship made her first appearance in 2006, then the world's largest cruise ship. Once again Captain Wright will have the distinguished honor of debuting the “new” largest cruise ship in the world, as he guides the Oasis of the Seas to her new year-round homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Once docked at the new cruise terminal in Port Everglades there will be ample time for the planting of lawns and gardens, show rehearsals, and other last minute touches prior to her first cruise with guests onboard.
We will be reporting and have photos on the launch 3 night sailing from fort Lauderdale on the 01 December.

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