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		The Wynn Is A Winner Reprinted from March 2006 Issue -by SONDRA WILSON Over 400 people joined us to find out what we already knew; cruising is a fabulous way to take a vacation. And the popularity of cruising continues to grow. It’s easy, it’s affordable and it’s fun! Cruising continues to reinvent itself—just look at some of the new innovations sweeping the industry like rock climbing walls, onboard surfing, freestyle dining and affordable balconies. With so much variety, how do you find the right cruise for you? Stay tuned for all the answers, but first a plug for your local Carlson Wagonlit Travel office. We have just won our fourth annual Golden Circle Award from Carlson Wagonlit Travel for selling more cruises in 2005 than any other Carlson location. We have done that because Mid-Columbians know how great cruising is and selling cruises is a passion for us. When you are planning a cruise, please contact us as we can help you plan everything about your cruise and help you have the perfect experience. Cruise Lines are working hard to differentiate themselves from their competition. New ships are putting emphasis on everything from water features that let you surf onboard to the thread count of your bed linens. Some Cruise Lines have chosen to make their ships larger. This positions them to offer more variety in onboard entertainment. To some, the large production shows, casino and evening entertainment are an important part of their vacation. Others choose smaller ships with more personal service, flexible dining and more laid back and intimate evening entertainment. There is always something for everyone. The following are some introductions to the variety of cruise offerings. •Carnival Cruise Line invented cruising as a vacation destination and designed ships to reflect that fun holiday feeling. Their ships are action packed and there is always something happening. They are a mass market ship but for the money they are a terrific value. If it’s your first cruise experience you won’t be disappointed. If you have cruised a great deal, you would possibly wish to move on to a more sophisticated cruise experience. But many loyal Carnival customers including my 87 year old father love Carnival and the party atmosphere. •Celebrity, owned by Royal Caribbean International, is another large ship line with all large ship entertainment. Celebrity prides itself on its food and service. Celebrity has been a well kept secret offering much more value then the price indicates. •Crystal Cruise Line ships are larger, holding approximately 1500 passengers and offer evening entertainment and traditional dinner seating. For the money spent, the cabins are nice but not exceptional. Where customers always agree is that Crystal prides itself on service and wonderful food. Clients on Crystal are pampered with exceptional warm and friendly service. •Cunard Cruise Line, also owned by Carnival Corporation launched the Queen Mary 2 to mixed reviews. Cunard can feel a bit stodgy and old world, but there are people that would be happy with this type of cruise experience. Their cabins are also quite wonderful and depending on your assigned dining room, the food and service can be exceptional. •Holland America is a large ship cruise line specializing in service to their passengers. I haven’t sailed on Holland America lately but past customers are very loyal so they must be doing something right. •Norwegian Cruise Line wants you to think of flexibility with their Freestyle Cruising concept. If you want the ability to enjoy a different themed dining option nightly this might be for you. Personally, we loved it. Some of these additional dining rooms carry a small cover charge, but many do not. The cabins are smaller than many other ships, and at times service is a challenge, but the Freestyle concept is one worth keeping. •Oceania is a relatively new cruise line and although I haven’t cruised on them yet they are getting strong marks from our clients for a small ship feel at a reasonable price point. •Princess Cruises are a large ship cruise line with an emphasis on entertainment, interesting itineraries and glitz and glamour. Their ships have earned a reputation for offering balcony cabins at affordable prices and their cabins have more amenities and more square footage than most other cruise lines. As with many ships holding thousands of people, exceptional service can be a challenge for Princess. They own beautiful lodges, railroad cars and motor coaches making Princess an excellent choice for their Alaska land vacations. •Radisson Cruise Line conjures up the word, luxury. All rooms on their newer ships are suites with seating areas and many with balconies. All of the cabins come with a personalized stocked bar and fine wines are served with dinner. On these smaller ships, entertainment is limited but service is the name of the game. •Royal Caribbean International brings the wow factor to the industry. Their innovations and clever marketing reinvented cruising as a young persons activity and one geared to families. With gyroscopic pool tables, ice rinks, rock climbing walls and now surfing and boogie boarding off the rear of the ship on their new Flow Rider, they offer uniqueness in the industry. Super large ships, multiple entertainment venues and many activities make it a good honeymoon or family reunion choice. •Other cruise lines such as Seabourn and Silversea offer the ultimate. They are considered the Rolls Royce of the cruise industry. Nothing is too much on these cruise lines. If this all sounds a bit confusing it can be. Our suggestion is that you stop by any of our offices and talk to a cruise vacation expert. We can lend advice on the best and most interesting itineraries and match your budget to the appropriate ship and cabin selection. Why take a chance with your vacation? Our cruise experts can tailor your cruise vacation to your wishes eliminating the chance that you might find yourself on the wrong ship. In other words, why do this yourself when you can have an expert in your corner who is right around the corner. Sondra Wilson is president of Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Richland, Kennewick and now in Walla Walla.