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Opportunity Knocks

Ralph Grizzle — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:48:33 +0000

In this age of e-commerce and warehouse-size superstores, Luther Clegg is something of an anomaly. While the Greensboro-resident remains part of the retail revolution, the mechanism that drives his merchandise is not bottom-line pricing or the World Wide Web. It is a 1977 Buick. You see, Luther Clegg still peddles his wares the old-fashioned way: [...]

Hello Down There

Ralph Grizzle — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 03:55:07 +0000

Cruise line executives have long contended that they compete not against one another but against the larger vacation market. That argument, in fact, allowed Carnival Corporation to pass regulatory and antitrust hurdles in acquiring P&O Princess in 2002. In a story that is now well known throughout the industry, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was left [...]

Wave Sends Mixed Signals

Ralph Grizzle — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 04:09:07 +0000

Will the 2006 Wave Season be recorded as a good sales period for cruises or a disappointing one? The answer depends. “There are big Wave Seasons and there are disappointing Wave Seasons, but the Wave Season of 2006 might just go down as the least clear cut,” reads the industry trade Cruise Week. The Miami Herald [...]

Surprise From Seattle

Ralph Grizzle — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 03:48:12 +0000

The surprising news from Seattle earlier this year came not from cruise giant Holland America Line but from tiny Cruise West. The Seattle-based company announced that it not only had acquired Clipper Cruise Line’s 138-passenger Yorktown Clipper and 102-passenger Nantucket Clipper but also expects 2006 to be its best financial year ever. Projecting $100 million in [...]

A Princess In Her Prime

Ralph Grizzle — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 04:01:37 +0000

Celebrating 40 years of operation, Princess Cruises awaits its new crown. Ten years ago, Princess Cruises was gearing up to introduce the 1,950-passenger Sun Princess. The new ship, which made its debut in December 1995, trumpeted not only the start of the race to build ever bigger cruise ships (Sun Princess would be the world’s largest [...]

Theme and Quirky Cruises

Ralph Grizzle — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 03:16:37 +0000

No matter what your obsession, there’ a theme cruise for you. Star Trek fan? Charles Datin, whose father built the models for the original Star Trek series, operates Cruise Trek, billed as “The Premier Trek Vacation Featuring Trek Actors & Guests.” Feel free to dress for his New England and Canada Cruise Trek, beginning June [...]

Cruise West To Cruise East

Ralph Grizzle — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 03:13:35 +0000

Small ship operator Cruise West launches its first-ever Japan itineraries in 2006. The new “Japan Unveiled” itinerary will run March through October on the company’ all-suite flagship, Spirit of Oceanus. The 13- and 16-night cruises begin at $5,349 per person, double occupancy and promise to take passengers behind the cultural curtain to the “insider’s Japan [...]

Ship Shape

Ralph Grizzle — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 03:12:24 +0000

What becomes apparent after only a few minutes of talking to the people who design cruise ships is that they are dreamers. After all, a decade ago, who but the dreamers would have imagined that cruise ships today would feature rock-climbing walls, bungee trampolines, human gyroscopes, waterslides, ice-skating rinks and even a planetarium? The dreamers [...]

Full Sale Ahead

Ralph Grizzle — Sun, 03 Apr 2005 04:07:25 +0000

Last year in this space, our article was headlined “Tsunami!” The story focused on Wave Season, the first-quarter period of intensified North America cruise sales and marketing efforts. This year, the word tsunami has a bitter ring, as it conjures memories of the tragedy that struck so many nations bordering the sea in late December. Its [...]

Take Two, Scene One

Ralph Grizzle — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 03:10:22 +0000

Basel, Switzerland-based Viking River Cruises forayed into China this season with one ship. Next season, the Vikings return with two ships and two new programs that combine the best of land and river. Complementing the 186-passenger Viking Century Star’ seven-day sailings between Chongqing and Shanghai, the new 306-passenger Viking Century Sky will offer three- and [...]