The Flagg Agency

New Crown and Anchor Levels

Royal Caribbean has announced new changes to its Crown and Anchor Loyalty program effective today. They have switched the way levels are calculated from the number of cruises to the number of days sailed. This new point system will award double points for anyone sailing in a suite (excluding Junior Suites). The link will take you to a chart showing all of the levels and benefits received with each as well as the points required to reach each level.

Fort at Old San Juan Puerto Rico

Last week I got a question by email that read: “What benefit is there to cruising from San Juan?” I immediately responded, “Are you considering a cruise of the Eastern or Southern Caribbean? Consider starting from San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland American Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and more sail from the Port of San Juan. Because San Juan is closer to the islands of the Caribbean than ports in the southern U.S., you should be able to spend a greater portion of your cruise enjoying destinations such as the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), the Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos islands.

2004: My daughter and I watch the waves during our first cruise to Alaska

Laura and I have been cruising with our daughter since she was 15 months and the thought of safety for children on cruise ships has never been far from our minds when taking our vacation. Part of the appeal of a cruise vacation with your children is that you can all spend special time together, splashing in the onboard pools, playing games on deck, enjoying delicious food in the dining room and exploring on shore. However, most parents also like the fact that a cruise also allows you to spend some time apart from your kids, knowing that they are well taken care of.

Day 1 of our convention is coming to a close. It has been a whirlwind day of networking,  making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. Just walking through the ship throughout the day, you find yourself running into some of the same people again and again. It could be sitting at a blackjack table, sucking down a favorite beverage in the Schooner Bar or even taking a quick snooze in the cover Solarium. 

After just over an eight hour drive through some pretty torrential rain in the downtown Atlanta area, my daughter and I have arrived at the Residence Inn on Cocoa Beach, FL. We are staying at one of the closest hotels to the cruise terminals.

They asked when we checked in if we would be interested in parking here for free for the week (at our own risk), however the shuttle for Royal Caribbean does not leave until 11:30. We are planning on getting to the pier between 10:30-11am. We also will want to get on the road as quickly as possible upon our return. Our decision will cost us $105 for the week for parking at the port. I wonder if this decision will be the smart one.