GalaxSea Cruises & Tours of San Diego
Top Picks& Recommendations
Below we've picked the best
values currently available from our recommended
cruise lines. There are thousands of other specials so we can't list
them all - just the best values we see. Please note:
- We're recommended by AARP,
Frommers, MSNBC and Consumer Reports Travel Letter
- Our focus is using our extensive experience to find you
the best value and ship for you.
- Exclusive
- we track prices
after you buy and have
saved clients $1400 to $2400! If you book directly with
cruiseline or many internet agencies - they don't notify you when a price
decline occurs and some may not change your price even if you notice. The
public does not see all the sale prices and specials being offered so you
can't track these either. You need the right agency. Click
for details
- There are big differences between
internet cruise agencies
- Our cruise specialists are experts - we've been on over
60 cruises each
- Sometimes the best cruise is only a few dollars more
than a budget cruise
Click Below For Our Top Picks
for Cruises To:
Prices are per person based
on double occupancy including port charges - subject to availability. Taxes
are additional.
The Captain's Top Picks Overall
We've looked at all the most popular destinations and we picked
our top rated ships with the best values for those destinations. We then locked-in
some great prices for you to plan your vacation cruises. Our top picks are given
below. These
rates are already great now but we also track prices for you. If
you reserve now and prices go down before final payment we will get you the
lower price. The actual trend today is for prices to go up as the sailing date
approaches for popular cruises during high demand periods like the summer and
holidays. If
prices go up you've already locked in the lower price. By booking early you
lock in these low prices and you get you pick of cabin location and sailing
date. You take no price risk with GalaxSea Cruises exclusive price
tracking service!
Azamara Club Cruises (tops in
the Deluxe Class)
- 2 for 1 pricing
- with extra savings on some sailings
-
Includes gratuities, wine with lunch &
dinner, bottled water, sodas & specialty coffees, city shuttles from pier
& more
- 25% off Land Discoveries
(shore excursions) if booked on line prior to sailing
- Azamara has
two lovely 700
passenger, small ships with outstanding food and service
- no formal nights
- no kids program
- open seating for dining
- very restrictive smoking policy
- two excellent specialty restaurants
- among the best at sea
- cabins about the same size
as entry level balconies on Celebrity's Millennium class
Celebrity
Cruises (tops in the Premium Class)
- The Millennium-class ships have
all been "solsticized" (Millennium, Infinity, Summit & Constellation)
and are now our favorite Celebrity ships with their new specialty restaurants
(Tuscan Grill/Q-sine & Bistro on Five), Cafe al Bacio & Gelateria,
Blu and new Aqua Class balconies added up on a private ultra-quiet, great
views deck 11, ice-topped Martini Bar, Cellarmasters winebar, resyled staterooms
and updated color schemes. Now you can have many of the Solstice-class enhancements
but on a smaller ship holding only 2000 guests - very nice! Highly recommended.
- The five Solstice class ships are
a close second to the Millennium class and are larger - holding 800 more guests
ana have many features unique to this class. Many like these ships the best.
Four of the five are in Europe and there are some great values with the weak
European economies.
RCCL Oasis/Allure of the Sea - Tops
for families
- Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale
- Alternates Eastern and Western
Caribbean
- The most exciting ship afloat
with the most to do for any age - great for families
- The most popular ships in the
Caribbean - so the prices reflect the extremely strong demand for these
outstanding ships
Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Tops
in the Luxury Class)
-
2 for 1 savings
plus + $1000 or $2000 per person bonus savings off sailings
- Economy airfare included + low price
Business Class upgrades (included in PH Suites)
- Unlimited complimentary shore excursions
- Gratuites included as well as premium
alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, soft drinks & bottled water
- Free 1-night luxury hotel night
the night before your cruise departs
- Cabins with balconies are the size
of suites on premium & lower class ships
- If you normally buy the above items
and most of us do, the cost of all these items can be huge so don't compare
Regent's all inclusive price to just the cruise price on a premium class.
By the time you add the cost of all the extras to a premium line cost there
is not much difference anymore AND YOU GET the top luxury product.
- Tired of getting "nickled and
dimed" for every thing besides the basic cruise - try Regent's all inclusive
pricing & great product
- With Regent luxury can be great
value!
Our Best Specials from our Top cruise lines
Please note, the sections below have
general recommendations and approximate prices. Please check with us for the
latest prices and special offers. Remember, we track prices for you after you
make a reservation and in today's economic environment, lower prices later are
a real possibility on many sailings. We get you the lower price later but you
get to pick a great cabin now and keep it. This can be worth a lot more than
a $200 on board credit offered by some.
There is a commonly held belief that
one can wait until the last moment and then find a great deal. Well this only
works rarely. It is very hard to predict which ships will have any space left
a few weeks prior to sailing. Most sailings on popular products and destinations
sell out effectvely months prior to sailing with only a handfull of the least
desireable cabins left.
Celebrity
has the top rated premium class ships
Infinity
and Millennium in Alaska.
Millennium does 7-night cruises back
& forth between Vancouver,B.C. and Seward, Alaska with Northbound cruises
calling on the Inside Passage(cruising), Ketchikan,
Juneau, Skagway,Icy Strait Point, and Hubbard Glacier (the largest tidewater
glacier and the most active in Alaska). Southbound cruises do the reverse. Infinity
does roundtrip Seattle sailings with an itinerary that includes the
Inside Passage(cruising), Juneau, Skagway,
Ketchikan, Tracy Arm & Sawyer Glacier, and gorgeous
Victoria, B.C.(Butchart Gardens). The Century
does roundtrip Vancouver sailing with calls on the
Inside Passage(cruising), Juneau, Ketchikan, Icy
Strait Point, and Hubbard Glacier. Century
is
a lovely ship decorated in the a classic style with beautful woods and brass
- a a lovely ship that is always highly rated for food & service.
Our top rated ships for families are Royal Caribbean's Radiance
and Rhapsody of the Seas doing both roundtrip Seattle (Rhapsody)
& one-way 7-night sailings(Radiance). Our top rated luxury line is Regent
Seven Seas and the Navigator does Alaska. All these featured, top rated products
offer the best Alaska cruises and the best values in their class. Radiance of
the Seas, Millennium & Century, stop at the new port of call, Icy Strait
Point.
Alaska Sale :
- 7-nt
Celebrity
- oceanview $648 to $1349, balcony $899 to $1749.
- Book far in advance (like now) early for the best prices
- May and September are the least expensive months - fewer
kids too
- mid June to mid August is peak season and prices are
higher
- Alaska sells out early for the most popular dates and
prices rise as you get closer to the sailing date
- Deposits lock in price now and protect you from increasing
prices. If prices go down we can get you the lower price as part of our
price tracking.
- Regent Seven Sea's #1 rated Seven
Seas Navigator does Alaska - our #1 rated
luxury cruise overall. It just does not get any better than this. Navigator
has huge oceanview cabins with 301 square feet minimum and her balcony cabins
have 356 square feet. Prices start around $4000 per person for oceanview cabins
and $4500 for balcony cabins for her 7-night cruises. Price includes U.S./Canada
airfare, unlimited shore excursions, gratuities, wine with meals, 1-night
pre-cruise luxury hotel and more. Navigator holds
only 490 totally pampered guests. An outstanding value overall with so much
included and with such a high quality product.
Canada/New England
Canada/New England is a lovely destination.
Quebec is outstanding as are the lovel small ports of New England like NBar
Harbor. These fall color cruises are very popular and several ships try and
offer cruises to Canada & New England in the September/October timeframe
each year. One of our favorite and top rated cruises is on Celebrity Summit
roundtrip from Cape Liberty, New Jersey overlooking the Statue of Liberty -
near Newark Airport and New York City. These cruises are typically 14-nights
and ports of call include Newport, R.I. (former summer home location for the
weathiest in the U.S.), Boston with all its history, Portland, ME, Bar Harbor,
ME (a delightful village right on the coast with great Lobster bakes and access
to beautiful Arcadia National Park), a beatiful small city and gorgeous countryside
can be found in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and our favorite stop is Quebec City -
the only walled city in North America. Quebec usually has 2 days there as there
is so much to see. The ship docks right below the old town and the world famous
Fairmont Hotel Le Chateau Frontenac. Some sailings also visit the lovely Prince
Edward Islands.
- Summit has three 14-night cruises during
the peak of the fall colors in September and October each year:
- Balcony cabins start at about $2449
- These sailing often sell out very early
due to the limited number of sailings so book early for best selection
and lowest pre-season rates
- On every Tuesday we have last minute sales on 7 to 14
night cruises to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean and sometimes Celebrity
that usually sail within 4 to 8 weeks. They are usually some excellent bargains
on balcony and junior suites. If there are only 2 of you traveling per cabin
you can often find a great price - sometimes there may even be triple and
quad cabins available. It is hard to predict which ships will have these specials
so you have to be flexible and you may have to move fast arranging airfare
as there is limited space . Just fill out a quote request and lets know you
are looking for a "last minute special" and be sure to indicate
a budget.
-
The new Oasis
7 Allure of the Seas are our top rated ship to the Caribbean
and is very special with a Central Park (yes, trees,and fresh air open to
the sky) , Boardwalk with Carousel, games and an outdoor Aquatheater with
water show, two Flow Riders, zip-line, two story loft suites, many new restaurants
and new technology everywhere. We sailed on her and were very impressed
- she is very special and now has an identical twin - Allure of the Seas.
You can see our review of Oasis by clicking here Oasis
of the Seas Detailed Review. Please note: prices for
Oasis and Allure of the Seas are much higher than her predecessors because
she has gotten such rave reviews, is clearly the best to the Caribbean,
has more to do than any other ship afloat, and as a result she is the hottest
ticket at sea right now.
Northern Europe Top Picks
- Celebrity Eclipse
is one of the newest Solstice-class
ships. She alternates between 14-night
Scan/Russia & Western Mediterranean cruise roundtrip London (Southampton)
from May to August. Scan/Russia calls on Brugges,(Zeebrugge),Belgium, Berlin
(Warnemunde), Germany, Stockholm, Sweden, Helsinki, Finland, St. Petersburg,
Russia, Tallinn, Estonia, Copenhagen, Denmark, and returns to Southampton,
England. Western Mediterranean cruises call on Gibraltar, Provence, Florence,
Rome, Sardinia, Seville, Lisbon & Vigo. PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO GET GOOD
RATES!
- Celebrity Constellation
does seven 12-night Scandianvia/Russia cruises roundtrip Amserdam May to August,
one 12-night Arctic Circle cruise on July 9th, and a one 12-night Norwegian
Fjords cruise on July 21st.Constellation was recently "Soliticized"
with the addition of many of the most poupular "Solstice" class
enhancements but on a smaller ship. Very nice and still a great premium class
option.
- Celebrity Infinity
does a variety of British Isles, Iceland, Norwegian Fjords & Wine cruise
to France and Spain. All cruises are roundtrip London (Harwich).
- Azamara Journey
- many wonderful itineraries with stops
in smaller ports and overnights close to the city center
- Oceania's new Marina
offers many great Scandianvia/Russia cruises on this lovely mid-sized deluxe
line
- Regent Seven Seas
Cruises recommended for luxury European cruises - usually 2 times the prices
of premium class ships but the price includes U.S./Canada
airfare, unlimited shore excursions, gratuities, wine with meals, 1-night
pre-cruise luxury hotel and more. An outstanding value
overall with so much included and with such a high quality product.
Mediterranean Top Picks
-
10 & 11-night Med. Cruise
on Celebrity's
new Reflection - the newest Solstice-class
ships. She alternates between 10 & 11-night Mediterranean
cruises from May to September. 10-night
sailings are roundtrip Rome
to Sicily, Athens,
Kusadasi (Ephesus), Rhodes, Santorini,
Mykonos
and Naples
. 11-night sailings roundtrip Rome
add Istanbul for 2 days and drops Rhodes. Prices start at about $2000 for
a balcony.
-
12 to 14-night
Med Cruises on
Celebrity's Silhouette.
There are a huge variety of sailings mostly
roundtrip Rome to Italy, Adriatic (popular new Europe destination to places
like Split, Kotor & Dubrovnik) , Holy Land, Med & Greek Isles.
-
12-night
Claissic Med Cruises on
Celebrity's Equinox.
She will offer 12 & 13-night cruises from August to October roundtrip
Barcelona
- 14 night
Med. Cruises on
Celebrity's Eclipse.
Eclipse is the third ship in the Solstice-class and debuted in April 2010.
Her cruises are roundtrip London (Southampton) and offer 14-night itineraries
from May to September. The 14-night itinerary is roundtrip Southampton, England,
to Gibraltar, UK, Provence (Toulon), France, Florence, Rome, Sardinia, Seville
(Cadiz), Spain, Lisbon, Portugal and Vigo, Spain.
Transatlantic Top Picks
Every year as ships transition from the winter ports of call
to Europe there are spring time Eastbound transatlantic cruises (usually in
April) and in the fall (October/November) they return with westbound transatlantics.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 offers almost weekly transatlantic crossings continuously
from April to October. Our favorite repositioning transatlantics are on RCCL,
Celebrity and Azamara - each offer the best value in their class. These cruises
always offer great rates on a per day basis and are great for those that want
to cross in luxurious comfort and love lots of sea days.
- call or email for great last minute deals for sailing
each spring and fall
China and Asia on 700 passenger Azamara
Quest
- Azamara and Celebrity have a strong and growing presence
in Asia are are excellent choices in their market category
- Asia repositioning cruises offer some twice a year options
that are very unique like the 24-night+ cruises between Athens
&
Singapore
Nov. & April each year on Azamara
- More sailings are being added to
Asia each year. Some are geared/tuned to their local market which supplies
a majority of the guests with appropriate menu changes and entertainment so
check with us first before you book so you know ahead of time
- 10/11-night
Galapagos Expedition - on
Celebrity Xpedition from $3600 for an oceanview. This outstanding small ship
offers a highly recommended way to explore one of the most unusual itineraries
in the world. Package includes 7-night cruise to the Galapagos Islands plus
a 3 or 4 night land package pre and post cruise in Quito, Ecuador. Cruise
visits Baltra, North Seymour, P. Baquerizo, Punta Suarez, Puerto Ayora, Cerro
Dragon, Bartalome, Caleta Tagus, Puerto Espinoza, Puerto Egas, Rabida, and
Bahia.
- There are several unique cruises offered by the
top rated cruise lines each year and they try to change them each year. World
Cruises are typically between 100 and 120 days and go roundtrip Miami
or San Francisco or maybe San Francisco to Miami, but there are new variations
and new ports of call every year. Sometimes they include Africa and/or, South
America, Asia and/or Australia but not always. The unique itineraries introduced
for these ultimate World Cruise adventures are
amazing. Call us and we can hlep you explore the various options.
Hawaii & Pacific Coast
- 15-nt Hawaii Cruises roundtrip San
Diego on Celebrity Century. Our
top rated premium class cruiseline is back sailing to Hawaii roundtrip from
San Diego. The itinerary is roundtrip San Diego, California
with calls on Hilo, Kauai, Honolulu, Lahaina (on Maui), and Ensenada, Mexico.
- 11 to 14-nt Alaska & Pacific Coast Cruises -
each year there are several West Coast and Alaska
cruise combinations in May and September as ship reposition to Alaska and
then on to their fall destinations in September. Typically the cruise starts
or ends in Vancouver and has ends (or starts) in San Diego, Los Angeles or
San Francisco. Our favorites are on 5+ Star
Celebrity Millennium
and Infinity.
For example depart San Francisco, California calls on
Victoria, British Columbia, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Inside Passage (Cruising),
Prince Rupert, B.C., Ketchikan, Alaska, Sitka, Alaska, Skagway, Alaska, Hubbard
Glacier (Cruising), Juneau, Alaska, Icy Strait Point, Alaska, Inside Passage
(Cruising), and ends in Vancouver, British Columbia. For example, April 30,
2010 Millennium from San Diego to Vancouver for 14-nights - Ultimate Alaska
cruise.
-
15-night Panama Canal, balcony from
about $2199 each fall & winter on Celebrity's 5+ star
Infinity, Millennium and Century between San Diego and Ft. Lauderdale.
Calls on Cartagena, Colombia; Panama Canal (Cruising - full Panama Canal
transit); Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Huatulco(very nice & unspoiled paradise),
Mexico; Acapulco, Mexico; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Watch for repositioning
specials in September and April/May.