Oasis of the Seas- book it now, painlessly

Unless you’re here for the very first time, you know we have fallen in love with Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Seas from reading this or our series of Examiner.com articles.  I promised a group cruise for anyone interested and here it is, just in time to forget shopping for the holidays.  One stop shopping right here for as low as about $11 per person per week.

Yep, that’s right.  I have  a plan set up where you can join our group cruise on  Oasis of the Seas sailing in September of 2011 several different ways.

• Pay $50 per cabin by 12-23-09, just in time to tuck the ship under the tree.  Then start paying monthly, automatically, in February, well after the holiday gift-giving hangover has faded.  This we call the EZ Payment Plan because it is just that:  easy.  Starting price for an inside stateroom go for as little as that $50 deposit and then $46.45 per person per month does it from then on for double cabins
• Pay $50 per stateroom by 12-23-09 then another $450 per stateroom by 05-22-10 and final payment by 07-05-2011
• Pay $500 up front, pick a stateroom and have no payments until 07-05-2011 whenever convenient.

Could this be any less painless?  I don’t think so and you who read this get first shot at it.   Click here to go to the group website for all the details over the weekend.  Starting Monday the whole world gets to see and there are a limited number of staterooms available.   The whole program is based on double occupancy (two to a stateroom) but if you have more, you can still go, it just costs you more up front.  See the “fine print”, a few rules at the group website.

Oh, you get stuff with this package too; $100 per cabin Onboard credit, a group cocktail party, Onboard Enrichment Seminars and more coming up as we go along.

Take a look today.  Y0u can register right on the group website if you are ready or let me know what questions you may have.

Oasis of the Seas Photo Gallery

First, Lisa and I took a spin on Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Seas .  I took a bunch of photos, some of which you have seen in my Examiner.com column.  But I am horrible at taking photos, especially with my I-phone.  Yes, that’s it, the phone.  If I had a good camera I would do better.  Not my fault, the phone’s fault.

Luckily our daughter Whitney, a professional photographer, was on the ship a day after we were and took some photos without a thumb in the photo and where you can actually tell what it is you are looking at.

Take a preview look on our website or see them all in our photo gallery

Thank you Whitney, we have something good to look at.  Now go get married and have me a grandchild or two ok?   Thanks!

Behind the Scenes as Tahitian Princess is Transformed into Ocean Princess

Fifth Online Drydock Journal Lets Enthusiasts Follow Along with Regular Updates

Capping a year of taking viewers behind the scenes as ships go through drydock, Princess Cruises is again offering an opportunity to follow a vessel through the renovation process.  In the newest installment of the Princess online drydock journal, the current Tahitian Princess will not only undergo a makeover, but also get a new name.  The vessel, one of the small ships of Princess, will be transformed into Ocean Princess during the two-week process, giving her a new moniker reflecting her global range of fascinating itineraries.

The fifth in this unprecedented series, the Ocean Princess Drydock Journal will run through December 2 on www.princess.com, and will be updated regularly with photos as the ship progresses through its drydock at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.  Viewers can follow along as the ship’s name is removed and replaced on the bow and throughout the vessel – including on equipment such as the lifeboats.  The journal will also chronicle changes as the ship is lifted from the water and receives a new coating of energy-efficient silicone paint, plus the interior refurbishments, with new upholstery, carpet and flooring.

“Response to our drydock journals has been remarkable – passengers love to see what’s done to the ship and how much work is involved in such a short time,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.  “This latest journal will give cruise fans yet another insiders’ peek behind the scenes, with the added interest in seeing the name change.”

The Ocean Princess Drydock Journal follows the enthusiastically received online journals chronicling work on Golden Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess and Coral Princess.  The journal can be found on the Ocean Princess page in the website’s “Ships” section, and it will be updated throughout the ship’s two-week drydock.  The photos will also be posted to Princess’ Twitter feed, Facebook page and Flicker photostream.

After the drydock the newly named Ocean Princess will set sail on a 16-day Treasures of Southeast Asia cruise from Singapore to Shanghai, beginning a season of unique Asia, India and Africa sailings, followed by a summer of European voyages.