Royal Caribbean has Texas-sized plans for its Voyager-class ship, the Navigator of the Seas. She’s leaving the Mediterranean for good to head for dry dock, where she’ll undergo an extensive revitalization project before heading to her new home port in Galveston, Texas.

A host of exciting new features will debut on the Navigator when it arrives in Galveston next February, including the Virtual Balconies– floor-to-ceiling high-definition displays in interior cabins that act as “windows,” displaying a 24/7 live view of what’s outside.

Texans will have another option for Western Caribbean cruises when the Navigator begins its 6- and 7-night sailings in May 2014, calling at the ports of Costa Maya, Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize City. On-board amenities will include new dining options, recreation venues including a rock wall, ice rink, and mini golf course, and duty-free shopping.

Remember, too, that you’ll tap into an array of exciting amenities–including free shipboard credit to spend on board!– when you book your Royal Caribbean cruise through FROSCH.

Lindblad Expeditions, the U.S.-based small ship expedition company that partners with the National Geographic Society for expedition cruising, has announced their acquisition of Orion Expedition Cruises, the Australia-based five-star small ship cruise line.

Both lines are favorites among FROSCH agents who recommend expedition cruises for adventurous, experienced travelers seeking out of the ordinary and immersive adventures. Lindblad works in alliance with National Geographic to “inspire travelers to explore and care about the planet,” formula that we think melds perfectly with the Orion collection of journeys.

You can read the full press release here.

File this one under “no thank you.” Australian mining tycoon Clive Palmer announced earlier this week that he will fund the construction of a real-life Titanic replica. You read that right. A Chinese shipbuilding company, in conjunction with Blue Star Line, has signed on to construct the ship, which will recreate the Titanic’s 1912 luxuries and yesteryear charms on a frame of modern seafaring technology, navigation, and safety.

It is through the rebuilding of the ship Professor Palmer wants to recognize the artists and artisans whose skill, creativity and dexterity has never to this day been fully acknowledged because of the ship’s limited service. This magnificent vessel is to be constructed in memory of the heroic people who served on the ship, the passengers who sadly shared their fate and all those that survived the tragedy. via.

(Side note: Titanic II is also the name of a 2010 mockbuster notorious for its abysmal acting, painfully bad special effects, and torturous plot line. It just goes to show—some things are better left unsequeled.)

Believe it or not, we have already received inquiries from clients interested in joining the maiden voyage of the Titanic II, scheduled for late 2016. There’s already a waiting list.

(Photo: a poster featuring the original Titanic adorns the walls of our Houston HQ)

Missed the boat on the 2013 Crystal Cruises 2013 World Cruise? Although that adventure has already launched, in its wake comes an announcement from the ultra-luxe line detailing the itinerary and shore excursion schedule of next year’s world cruise.

A three-month journey from LA to London, the cruise calls at many of the world’s most intriguing destinations, from Hong Kong to Hawaii, Guam to Ghana.  The award-winning cruise line has developed a collection of incredible experiences to make sure you get the most out of every day at sea and on shore. In 2014, World Cruise guests will be able to:

Helicopter over Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Cape Town.

Safari for native African wildlife, from gorillas to elephants.

Explore cultural microcosms from Geisha life in Kyoto to Ghandi and Indian sub-culture in South Africa.

Stay overnight off-ship in several countries, including Vietnam and Cambodia.

Indulge in hands-on culinary treats, from blending one’s own wine near Cape Town or learning traditional tea preparation in Hong Kong to local market shopping and hands-on Creole cooking in Mauritius.

Visit pivotal WWII Pacific Theatre sites from Tinian to Oahu, including a private lunch with captain of the USS Missouri.

Guests will also be able to take part in Crystal Cruises’ You Care, We Care program, a way for world travelers to give back to the local communities that they visit.

The 2014 World Cruise sets sail aboard the Crystal Serenity on January 14, 2014. Ask your FROSCH travel consultant for details!

So this came in the mail today… the world’s tiniest envelope, with a mini magnifying glass along with it.

What’s inside?

Congratulations Seabourn! Three consecutive years as Best Small Ship Line … that’s a pretty big deal!

Oceania Cruises just announced a new winter collection of cruises, which features unique itineraries and off-the-beaten-track destinations. The cruise line has also introduced an early booking incentive in addition to their standard offers which range from 2 for 1 cruise fares and bonus savings of up to $5000 per stateroom.

The 2013-2014 collection includes new ports of call that you may not be familiar with. Let’s take a tour: Check out our entire selection of Oceania cruise deals, with exclusive group space pricing and bonus amenities that you can access only as a FROSCH client.  The new winter collection will be available to book in a few weeks. Ask your travel agent for details or use our Travel Agent Finder tool to get started.

This is a great example for why you need a travel agent.

I had a small family group sailing on Mother’s Day on the Freedom of the Seas.  As I was enjoying my Sunday paper and latte with my family, I get a frantic call on my cell phone from one of my clients sailing on the cruise.  “We have big problems!  Instead of grabbing Kenny’s passport, Dorothy grabbed the bank passbook and he isn’t getting on the ship!”   Royal Caribbean told him if they had a copy of his birth certificate faxed to them he could sail on the cruise.   I told them if they had a hide-a-key I would go to their house and get the birth certificate and fax it to the cruise pier.   Of course, no such luck.  Dorothy wanted me to break in through a window… Kenny said absolutely not!   I told them to give me 10 minutes and I would call them with plan B.

Then it dawned on me.  I had a good friend and client who was a lock smith.  Fortunately he was willing to meet me at their house right away,  he “broke in,”  I went up to the bedroom and retrieved the birth certificate and passport, faxed them to Royal Caribbean and my clients were on the ship with 15 minutes to spare!

Kenny called me from the bar on the ship to say thank you and that Dorothy was on her 3rd Margarita!!!

Who else but a professional travel agent would go that extra mile?

By Lisa Hulbert

Azamara Club Cruise is being lauded for its quick response and public transparency during an eventful weekend, when a fire broke out in the engine room of Azamara Quest.

The cruise line’s PR team was quick to post updates regarding ship conditions and efforts to restore propulsion on their official Facebook page, where passengers and crew soon chimed in with their own news and questions once power was restored.

The fire broke out in the ship’s engine room at 8:19 PM Frday, March 30, four days into a 17-night sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore. The fire was quickly extinguished and no guests were injured; however, several of the crew suffered smoke inhalation and required hospitalization.

Engineers were able to restore propulsion to one of the ship’s engines and the ship set course for Sandakan, Malaysia, where it arrived Sunday evening. President and CEO Larry Pimentel flew to Sandakan to personally meet with Azamara Quest guests and crew, according to information posted on Azamara’s website.

“I would like to sincerely thank our amazing Azamara Quest guests for their patience and understanding,” said Larry Pimentel, president and chief executive officer of Azamara Club Cruises. “We understand that this was a difficult journey, and we appreciate their upbeat and positive attitude. We look forward to welcoming them back soon.”

“I would also like to commend the crew onboard Azamara Quest, not just for their valiant and courageous efforts during the fire, but for the way they have worked tirelessly to make our guests as happy and comfortable as possible until the ship arrived in port. The entire crew has been absolutely brilliant, and I couldn’t be prouder of the exemplary way each and every one of them responded to this incident.”

The cruise line also set up a hotline for family and friends of guests onboard to receive updates, and offered guests the option of staying onboard the ship while it was docked in Sandakan, or transferring to a local hotel. Passengers were offered a variety of compensation choices, including continuing their vacation in a luxury hotel in the Asian city of their choice, with Azamara providing a $150 daily stipend per passenger for food and other expenses. They will also receive a full refund, a free future cruise, and airfare reimbursement.

Azamara guests praised the actions of the crew on Facebook, thanking them for the professional way the situation was handled and for the prompt updates as the events unfolded.

On Sunday evening, February 19, Seabourn Odyssey was sailing the Pacific Ocean some 150 miles southwest of Pago Pago, America Samoa, when the portside bridge watch spotted something in the distance. Captain Mark Dexter found no missing vessel reports, but wondered why this boat would be so far from land. He deviated from his course to investigate further and spotted a small boat adrift some miles away from the ship. As they drew closer, they saw three men jumping and frantically waving their clothing, clearly trying to catch the attention of Seabourn Odyssey. The ship deployed one of its rescue boats and, after determining that they were no threat, rescued three fishermen who had been lost at sea for nearly three weeks! The crew transferred them to the rescue boat and took them to the ship, where they were immediately checked out by the ship’s doctor. While they were dehydrated, hungry and had a few skin sores from the sun, the three men were in surprisingly good health considering they had been drifting at sea for weeks.

To add to the happy ending, when Captain Dexter notified his guests about what was going on, they passed the hat amongst themselves and collected enough money to buy the three fishermen a new boat. Whether you believe in luck, fate, or a higher power, it’s heartwarming to hear about people in the right place at the right time. You can read the rest of this incredible story at the Seabourn blog.

(Photo: Seabourn)

Celebrity Cruises is in the midst of a large-scale renovation, a process they’re calling “Solsticizing the Millennium class after their newest class of ships. “Our beautiful, award-winning Solstice class is well known, so with just one word  we are conveying the idea that we are bringing the lovely Millennium class of ships up to the Solstice class standards,” said Sharla Smith, Regional Sales Manager for Celebrity Cruises. What started with a refurbishment of the Celebrity Constellation in 2010 will span two years until all four Millenium class ships—including the Infinity, the Summit, and the Millenium, are shiny and new.

Updates range from fresh linens and new flat-screen TVs in the staterooms to new specialty dining options and a new public zone called the iLounge, designed in partnership with Apple.

Celebrity isinvesting $150 million per ship for the renovation process, with plenty of timein dry dock to ensure no detail is overlooked. The cruise line studied passenger feedback to determine what changes were needed, Ms. Smith reports. “We have studied what guests like best about the Solstice class to recreate similar experiences on Millennium class, such as AquaClass staterooms and new dining optionslike Blu and Tuscan Grille.”

2012 will bring other changes for Celebrity Cruises aside from renovations. The Celebrity Milennium will sail to Asia for the first time ever this fall, and the Celebrity Solstice will head to Australia and New Zealand for the first timelater this year.

A Celebrity Cruise is on this month’s Hot List—here’s your chance to experience the Solstice class and see what the fuss is all about! Talk to your FROSCH travel agent or click on our Find a Travel Agent tool to learn more or check out the other great Celebrity Cruises featured at FROSCHVacations.com.