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Dear Friend,
I simply could NOT resist this cruise when I saw it. Since my first President’s Cruise, we’ve been all over the world, but it has been years since my special cruise has been to the Caribbean. If you know me, you know I love small to medium size ships...the size ships that Caribbean cruising started with. They were ships on which you got to know the crew and your fellow cruisers and the service included lots of personal touches.
That sort of smaller, more intimate cruise experience still exists today, and now at an affordable price. Welcome to Azamara Cruises.
Azamara Cruises is the new “little sister” to Celebrity Cruises. If you know cruising, you know Celebrity is a highly regarded premium-class cruise line. Azamara is one step up from that. I call it Celebrity’s “little sister” because Azamara’s two ships are small by comparison – carrying just 710 guests – which I absolutely love. We are cruising on the 30,000-ton Azamara Journey where we’ll be looked after by a crew of 390 – an exceptionally high crew to guest ratio.
We’ll fly non-stop from Chicago to Miami and transfer directly to the Sonesta Bayfront Hotel in the heart of Miami’s fun-filled Coconut Grove district. The next afternoon we’ll board Azamara Journey for our all-casual cruise. (Yes, gentlemen, there are no tuxedos or even jackets and ties needed for this cruise.)
By now, you must be asking “Where are we going?” Take a look at these outstanding ports...
Jan. 19 Sail from Miami
Jan. 20 At Sea
Jan. 21 At Sea
Jan. 22 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Jan. 23 St. John, U.S.Virgin Islands
Jan. 24 Basseterre, St. Kitts
Jan. 25 Fort De France, Martinique
Jan. 26 Pointe A Pitre, Guadeloupe
Jan. 27 Marigot, Saint Martin
Jan. 28 Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Jan. 29 At Sea
Jan. 30 A final glorious day at sea
Jan. 31 Return to Miami
When I saw this itinerary, a number of things immediately jumped out at me. First, it is a 12-day cruise. Anybody who has cruised knows how fast a week goes by. It seems like the cruise has barely begun when thoughts of it being nearly over start creeping into you mind. For this cruise, we have nearly two weeks to savor the joys of cruising! One of those joys that veteran cruisers cherish the most are the days at sea. We have four of them. Then there are the ports. We begin at beautiful Labadee where a relaxing day at the beach awaits at parent company Royal Caribbean International’s private retreat. We have two stops in the Virgin Islands – St. John on the U.S. side and Virgin Gorda on the British side. Popular Saint Martin, but on the French side at Marigot. (The Dutch side of this two-nation island, where all the megaliners go, is called St. Maarten.) St. Kitts with its wonderful British character, and our favorite beach bar. The interesting and lovely French islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe. Seven terrific ports.
Here are the other things I really like about cruising with Azamara: FLEXIBILITY AND INFORMALITY. On past cruises, how many times have you felt that the early dinner seating was too early and the late seating was too late, or you wished that you could vary your dining time according to what was happening that particular day? On Azamara, there are no assigned dining tables or times. You choose when, where and with whom you dine on a day to day basis. Choose from Discoveries (Main Dining Room), Breeza (Casual Dining), Windows Café (Lido Dining), or Aqualina or Prime C (Specialty Dining). All are included in your cruise price, unlike other cruise lines that offer specialty dining only at an additional cost. (You are guaranteed one dinner in each of the specialty restaurants, with other nights on a space-available basis.)
Aboard Azamara Journey, there are no scheduled formal nights and resort casual
attire is always appropriate. Azamara guests dress nicely but comfortably. A jacket
and tie are never required, but you are welcome to wear one, even a tux, if you wish.
We have been allotted just 25 cabins for this cruise. Category 4 Oceanview rooms are priced at $2,899. Rooms with a private balcony are priced at $3,099 in Category 2A and $3,199 in Category 1A. Suites and other stateroom types may be available on a request basis. Prices are per person, double occupancy plus $249 taxes, fees and surcharges (subject to change). This is for the complete cruise package including the following...
- Non-stop roundtrip flights from Chicago (Milwaukee-Chicago private coach transfers $68 r/t)
- Overnight pre-cruise stay at the Sonesta Bayfront in Coconut Grove
- Transfers between airport, hotel and pier
- 12-day cruise aboard the Azamara Journey
- All meals during the cruise on an open seating basis
- Specialty and casual dining options at no additional charge
- Daily activities and enrichment program
- Nightly entertainment
- Casino gambling
- Captain’s cocktail party
- Private Cruise & Tour cocktail party
- Bon Voyage travel accessories
- Services of your Cruise & Tour hosts**
Join Dennis and me for this outstanding cruise to the best of the Caribbean aboard Azamara Journey.
CALL 1 (800) 383-3131 TODAY to hold your place.
Warm regards,
Peggy R. Crull
President
P.S. If you haven't already, discover the joys of luxury cruising on a smaller ship on my 2009 President's Cruise aboard Azamara Journey!
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