Cruise West goes out of business and all sailings are cancelled.

The Cruise Outlet, in conjunction with a number of the small ship cruise lines, have arranged for clients to be re-booked on similar itineraries with American Safari Cruises.  Even clients who have not booked with the Cruise Outlet are welcome and will be taken care of properly and with their best interest.

The Cruise Outlet stopped booking Cruise West a number of months ago when the cruise line started to show indications of something not correct.  All clients who did book on that line with the Cruise Outlet, were required to take out full cruise and travel insurance which would protect them in the case of default, which is what has happen.  

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has announced that Cruise West “is cancelling all cruises that were scheduled to begin Saturday, September 18, and on all dates that follow.” With the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Cruise West, The Cruise Outlet feels confident that American Safari Cruises and new sister company InnerSea Discoveries are two leading alternatives for accommodating their passengers immediately.
American Safari Cruises operates in 4 of the same west coast destinations as Cruise West. We are offering compelling options to salvage your clients’ vacations on fall/winter 2010 and 2011 departures of Mexico’s Seas of Cortés and Columbia River, and Alaska 2011 departures. To make re-booking as easy as possible, The Cruise Outlet has set up a program with American Safari Cruises to  match Cruise West fares for fall 2010/spring 2011 Columbia & Snake Rivers cruises and 25% savings for Mexico’s Sea of Cortés. Sailings in Southeast Alaska, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés and the Columbia & Snake Rivers can be rebooked on American Safari Cruises’ yachts or with the company’s new sister brand, InnerSea Discoveries, which offers moderately priced adventure cruising in Southeast Alaska starting May 2011. Both brands offer small yachts/ships, with guest capacities from 12-49 guests, exemplary service and delicious cuisine, a high crew to guest ratio and active and unique itineraries that include kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and hiking. 

American Safari Cruises pioneered yacht cruising in Southeast Alaska 12 years ago, and operates three luxury yachts carrying 12, 22 and 36 guests sailing round trip from Juneau between mid-May and early September. In addition, the yachts operate on the Columbia & Snake Rivers, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés and interisland Hawaii (new for fall 2011). Guests can expect a superlative yacht experience combined with adventure in a casual, yet elegant atmosphere.

InnerSea Discoveries offers highly experiential adventure cruises aboard two 49-guest small ships, the Wilderness Adventurer and Wilderness Discoverer that will sail between Juneau and Ketchikan. The boats were purchased in October 2009 and are currently undergoing major renovations to prepare them for an outdoor-oriented small-ship experience for the 2011 Alaska season.

We welcome passengers who were booked via other means to  contact us and ask for  Neil Gorfain, CEO of TheCruiseOutlet.com who will personally work with each client needed assistance from the demise of Cruise West.

Limited Time Offers from The Cruise Outlet

We have some great rates on Winter Break, Spring Break and April Vacation 2011 cruises that are booking fast! Give us a call today at 1-888-775-1884 to speak with one of our Cruise Professionals about booking your trip on any of these amazing cruises, or visit www.thecruiseoutlet.com to browse our other deals!

Winter Break 2011

February 12, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Epic 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami starting at $656 per person + free dinner

February 13, 2011 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Allure of the Seas 7-night Western Caribbean sailing from Ft. Lauderdale starting at $884 per person + $25 on board credit

February 19, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Epic 7-night Western Caribbean sailing from Miami starting at $599 per person + $75 on board credit

February 19, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Gem 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $801 per person + $50 on board credit

February 19, 2011 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Oasis of the Seas 7-night Western Caribbean sailing from Ft. Lauderdale starting at $985 per person + $75 on board credit 

Spring Break 2011

March 5, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Gem 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $414 per person + $50 on board credit

March 12, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Gem 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $634 per person + free dinner 

March 13, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Jewel 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $464 per person + $50 on board credit

April Vacation 2011

April 9, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Gem 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $532 per person + free dinner

April 9, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Epic 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami starting at $703 per person + $75 on board credit

April 10, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Jewel 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $561 per person + free dinner

April 10, 2011 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Allure of the Seas 7-night Western Caribbean sailing from Ft. Lauderdale starting at $893 per person + $75 on board credit

April 16, 2011 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Oasis of the Seas 7-night Western Caribbean sailing from Ft. Lauderdale starting at $1187 per person + $75 on board credit

April 16, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Gem 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $745 per person + free dinner

April 16, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Epic 7-night Western Caribbean from Miami starting at $644 per person + $50 on board credit

April 17, 2011 Norwegian Cruise Lines Jewel 7-night Bahamas sailing from NYC starting at $745 per person + free dinner

April 17, 2011 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Allure of the Seas 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from Ft. Lauderdale starting at $1197 per person + $75 on board credit      

Why Use a Travel/Cruise Agent?

The best way to insure that you are getting the best deal is to use the services of an experienced, knowledgeable cruise professional. It may be tempting to go online and simply book your cruise directly with the cruise line, but you will not get the best  price. Often, Cruise Agencies will have  promotions and specials available to them which cruise lines do not offer. Cruise line personnel who do bookings are given a script and the majority of them do not know anything about cruising.  They are hired for their skills to work in a call center and are only concerned with moving numbers.

A Professional Cruise Agent can tell you which of the MANY cabins on the NCL Epic is the perfect one for your upcoming trip!

Using a Professional Cruise Agent gives you an advantage in the event that a problem may arise. The agent can act on your behalf as your advocate to resolve any issues. Your travel agent may do hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars in business each year with a cruise line, so they will have more leverage than you will on your own. In today’s age of experts and specialization, there is a group of companies who specialize in selling only cruises.  These are the people with whom you want to deal with and here is why:

• A professional Cruise Agent working at a company which specializes in cruises does only that.  In today's complex world trying to be a “jack of all trades” does not work.  Look around and you will see that to be an expert in a specific area is the only way to be effective and provide the correct information.

• The cruise industry has become very complex and the ships extremely large.  Even the “sales” and management teams which work for a specific cruise company acknowledge that the new ships are complex. Thus you want to deal with a person who has cruised, cruised on the ship you are planning to cruise on, and does not operate out of the basement or bedroom in their home.  That person is not a professional, that is someone who does cruises as a hobby!

Cruise Outlet Named Agency of Record for National Recording Artists SHILOH

National Recording Artists SHILOH asked the Cruise Outlet (for the 10^th year in a row) to coordinate their upcoming Reunion Cruise sailing from Galveston on April 11, 2011.  It is going to be a 5-night cruise with all the cruise bells and whistles, but as with each Shiloh cruise, their fans from all over the US come on-board and participate in their exclusive concerts, events and programs.

Each year SHILOH travels to another part of the Country and for the past 10 years they have been cruising.  According to Brian White, the lead singer of Shiloh, “we met Neil on a Gospel cruise that his company had put together and I was very impressed with the smooth and organized style he had”.

SHILOH, based out of Texas, have a national and international touring schedule annually performed all over the United States as well as the White House for Christmas a few years ago.  Founded in 1995, many have described their style as Contemporary Southern.  Their trademark sound is derived from their extraordinary musical arrangements, closely-knit harmonies, and powerful and distinctive vocals with a special Texas flair.

National Recording Artists SHILOH

 “The following year I asked him if he would put a package together for our followers that would combine the pleasures of a cruise and its programs with private concerts and events just for our fans. Since then, we have traveled with our fans every year to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, the Caribbean.  The fans love that they are able to hear private concerts and attend private parties”.

According to White “The Cruise Outlet never loses track of who is number one and makes sure that everyone feels special”.

The Cruise Outlet, according to Neil Gorfain, handles many of these special groups throughout the year and is gaining a reputation for making each of these special programs a "smooth sailing".

According to Gorfain, “I am happy to work with Shiloh.  They are wonderful people. Each year there are some challenges as each cruise line has its own uniqueness, but the key to our success with these programs is not to let the “customer” or performer know the errors that have occurred.  They go on stage without a hitch.”

Create a Better Cruise Budget

It's always great to know you received a good deal on something, but few things are better than getting a good deal on a fantastic cruise! However, creating an airtight budget for your cruise vacation could end up hindering your overall enjoyment of the experience. Our staff here at The Cruise Outlet want to share their tips on where to spend and where to splurge, to ensure that your cruise budget is big on both savings and fun.

Balcony Cabins

Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or a first-timer, you've probably heard the argument that as you're only sleeping there, inside cabins are a better value. While this may be true for some, our clients have told us the experience of having a private view from their cabin was well worth the added cost. From watching magnificent sunrises over coffee and croissants, to taking in the lush landscapes at each new port of call, a balcony cabin can give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing some of the worlds marvels.

Smaller Ships

Big ships offer a tremendous variety of activities, which for many families may be the way to go. But small ships carrying 1,000 or fewer passenders provide a different value for cruisers not looking for a floating city. Many times smaller ships can call on ports that larger ships cannot. Also, with a much smaller number of passengers aboard smaller cruise ships, guests are not part of a mass tourism experience. You can get to know many people on board and develop lasting friendships with like-minded people.


Book Your Next Cruise While on Your Current Cruise

Cruise lines know they have a captive audience when you're onboard their ships, so they typically offer incentives for booking your next cruise while still on vacation. Usually this type of booking requires only an open ended deposit with no specific sailing committed. However, it is vitally important that you make sure they give your booking to your agenct of record to keep all of your travel details in order for you. Not only can your agent ensure everything about your next cruise runs smoothly, they can almost always readjust your rate to give you a better deal and add other perks and amenities to your upcoming cruise. The Cruise Outlet regularly handles these types of bookings for our clients. Just make sure to bring a copy of your booking to your travel agent when you're back on land.

Pre-Cruise

Explore and enjoy the cities where your cruise begins by adding on at least one hotel night before you set sail. In addition to the extra time you'll have to relax, unwind and dispell any jet lag you may have, booking a pre-cruise hotel night assures that you and your luggage will arrive to the ship on time, and that you will miss any delays due to inclement weather or unforseen circumstances that may otherwise cause you to miss your departure.

Book Back to Back

Even better than disembarking when your cruise is over is staying on board. The Cruise Outlet can often offer incentives for booking back-to-back cruises that will allow you to enjoy an even wider variety of amazing destinations, sometimes without even having to switch cabins so you won't have to pack and unpack.