THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601200063
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
ABOUT 120 cruise ships, most home-ported in Miami, are sailing the seas.
More are on the way.
``There will be about 20 new ships coming out in the next three years,'' said Donald Lansky, senior vice-president of The Cruise Line. ``Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival will expand their fleets by about 70 percent.''
Most will be megaliners, some handling about 350 passengers, some about 3,000.
About 10 million passengers a year will be at sea, according to Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's trade group.
About 1 million of those folks will tell their travel agent, ``Do your thing.''
The rest of us will go bargain-hunting, looking for two-for-the-price of-one cruises, a free three days if you book seven, discounts for specific sailings, senior citizen discounts.
In some cases, you can pay for two and get two adults or children aboard free or for a nominal fee. And there are group discounts for companies, clubs, religious groups and family reunions. One line offers a free $700 camera when you sign up.
A couple of other things to look for: Discounts for full payment in advance, and stand-by rates which require payment in full (refundable if the stand-by does not clear).
Keep in mind that different lines have different offers, so check carefully.
A popular cruise idea is the floating marriage.
``There were nine weddings on one ship last year,'' said Stewart Chiron, vice-president of Corporate and Incentive Sales for The Cruise Line. ``Often, the bride and groom stay aboard for the honeymoon.''
Some members of the wedding party keep them company - during the day, anyway.
If you are way past the honeymoon stage and want to go family cruising, most lines offer separate activities for children. Trained counselors keep them occupied. For the much younger, there is baby sitting.
As a bonus, some lines offer shore excursions for children only.
Finally, this important suggestion from Chiron: ``It's best to pay for everything with credit cards. You have a better chance of getting your money back. If you have problems, let the credit card company deal with it.'' MEMO: For information on cruise ship discounts and a free copy of World of
Cruising magazine, call 1-800-777-0707. Brochures on family cruising,
cruise ship weddings, and honeymoons are also available. by CNB