Here are this week’s Carnival Cruise specials, good for bookings made between January 21 and 23, 2009.

Rates starting from: (Interior, Ocean View, Balcony)

CARNIVAL DESTINY 5 Day Miami, 3/23/09 ($349, $419, $519) 

CARNIVAL DESTINY 5 Day Miami, 3/28/09 ($349, $419, $599) 

CARNIVAL LIBERTY 7 Day Miami, 3/07/09 ($429, $559, $729) 

CARNIVAL LIBERTY 7 Day Miami, 3/28/09 ($429, $529, $699) 

CARNIVAL PRIDE 7 Day (LAX) Long Beach, 2/08/09 ($429, N/A, $669) 

CARNIVAL PRIDE 7 Day (LAX) Long Beach, 2/22/09 ($429, N/A, N/A) 

CARNIVAL PRIDE 7 Day (LAX) Long Beach, 3/01/09 ($429, N/A, $619) 

CARNIVAL TRIUMPH 7 Day Miami, 3/29/09 ($459, $559, $709)

CARNIVAL VALOR 7 Day Miami, 3/29/09 ($459, $559, $729)

CARNIVAL VICTORY 7 Day San Juan, 3/15/09 ($459, $609, $829)

Note: Carnival reserves the right to re-instate the fuel supplement for all guests at up to $9 per person per day if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel. 

Just announced: Book any 2009 Europe, Trans-Atlantic and Crystal Symphony Asia cruise by March 31, 2009 and you will receive 20% off most 2010 cruises. Now is the time to take advantage of the great 2009 fares and lock in your discounted 2010 rates too.

View the list of all sailings that apply for this offer.

Celebrity’s newest ship, the Equinox, makes its inaugural sailing on August 8, 2009.  The 10-night cruise will be from Southampton, England to Rome, Italy.  The Equinox is the second ship of Celebrity’s Solstice Class.  It has 10 different restaurants, a variety of entertainment options and a country club top deck Lawn Club with real natural grass! 

The Yachts of Seabourn’s newest ship is the Seabourn Odyssey with an inaugural sailing on June 24, 2009. The 14-night cruise will be from Venice, Italy to Istanbul, Turkey.  The Odyssey is a smaller ship with 225 ocean view suites, 90% of them with private verandahs.  As always, all Seabourn sailings include alcohol (open-bar throughout the ship), and tipping is neither required nor expected.

On the horizon for late 2009 is Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. This 16-deck ship is a real head-turner, boasting room for 5,400 guests and featuring seven separate “neighborhoods” to visit. (No itineraries have been announced just yet – stay tuned.)

In celebration of Oceania’s 5th Anniversary, they are now offering a savings of up to 72% off their brochure fares.  This means that you can enjoy an Oceania cruise from just $1249 per person on select sailings.

For Oceania’s 2009 European sailings, you can select any one of their 18 different European Collection voyages and you will receive free airfare, 2 for 1 cruises and an additional price reduction of $2000 per stateroom for staterooms in category G through A1.

For Oceania’s 2009-2010 Winter sailings, you will receive various price reductions and complimentary amenities in addition to free airfare and 2 for 1 cruise fares.  The amenities include shipboard credit plus free prepaid gratuities.

Reservations for any of the cruises opens on January 7, 2009.  Contact Topsail Cruises for more information.

Welcome to the new TopsailCruises.com! We’ve got a new design, new articles, new features, and new ways for you to get involved.

Topsail Cruises debuted in late summer 2001 with humble beginnings and a web site design to match. Nothing fancy, but it won constant praise for its simplicity (not to mention lack of a musical soundtrack), for which we’re grateful!

To ring in 2009, orange, yellow and green have been traded in for a calm blue ocean and a more interactive design. To kick things off, Nancy has just weighed in with the top five reasons she enjoys cruising.

Like what you’re reading? Now you can quickly share it with others through email or on the web. Just look for the “Share This” link at the end of each post. As if that wasn’t enough social networking goodness, you can even follow us on Twitter.

We hope you enjoy the new look, and encourage you to join in the discussion – on TopsailCruises.com, Twitter and elsewhere. Let us know what you think! We’re here and we’re listening.

While our online booking is temporarily out of service, it will be back very soon. Until then, you can always give us a call or use our handy price quote form. Either way, we’ll get right back to you.

Our thanks to everyone for your support over the years, and an extra-special thanks to our clients. We appreciate each and every one of you. Here’s to a safe, happy, healthy 2009!

Effective immediately, Topsail Cruises will no longer offer additional discounts or rebates for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruises. This change in policy applies to all travel agencies.

Additional discounts and rebates for other cruise lines will continue to apply until further notice.

More Information

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are adopting a no rebate policy. Once in full effect, all travel agencies are strictly prohibited from offering Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruises for anything less than the cruise lines allow.

As an affiliate of a top-selling agency for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, Topsail Cruises has permission to offer cruise line-set preferred rates that are below “cruise line-direct” rates.

Therefore, Topsail Cruises will continue to offer Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruises at a cruise line-set discount price, but without any additional discounts or rebates.

The Bottom Line

Price alone does not determine the “total value” of any cruise. It never has. The quality of service and expertise provided by a travel agency is also important for beginner and experienced cruise travelers alike.

About Topsail Cruises

From helping select a cruise line and destination that fits one’s budget and interests to ensuring 100% satisfaction every step of the way, Topsail Cruises is known for its attention to detail and personal touch. Since its inception in 2001, Topsail’s knowledgable staff and “friend of the family” style of service has continued to educate and delight thousands of clients, referrals and repeat customers.

Topsail Cruises is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau, the American Society of Travel Agents, the International Airlines Travel Agent Network and the Cruise Value Center family, which has recognized Topsail Cruises as its leading affiliate for 2003.

Questions or feedback regarding pricing policies may be directed to Topsail Cruises, Celebrity or Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

CNN’s Jamie Allen discusses the importance of planning your cruise carefully. Bottom line: Do your homework. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned traveler, Topsail Cruises can help you research your next cruise and provide suggestions for making your experience more enjoyable.