Oasis of the
Seas zip line Floating
cities at sea
PLACES TO GO. PRICES YOU’LL LOVE.
Allure of
the Seas
Norwegian Epic
Aqua Park Plunge
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL; NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
QUALITY | VALUE | EXPERIENCE | WOW!
SEVEN-NIGHT WESTERN CARIBBEAN from $815 per person Valid on 9/9/12 sailing. Inside Stateroom Allure of the Seas® Other sailings are available. Prices will vary.
• Private cocktail/soft drink reception (per person)
• SAVOR: The Royal Caribbean Cookbook
• Lunch or dinner at Johnny Rockets® for four‡
• Dinner at Giovanni’s Table for four‡
• Shipboard credit†
• And more!
Norwegian Epic
By Ralph Grizzle
OASIS OF THE SEAS® and its sister, Allure of
the Seas®, are so large that the only way designers could think of to help consumers conceptualize them was to divide the vessels into
neighborhoods.
Imagine: ships so big they have a Central
Park, with more than 12,000 living plants,
plus cafés, shops and even park benches. And
Central Park is only one of six neighborhoods
on Allure and Oasis.
Similarly, Norwegian Cruise Line’s
Norwegian Epic features entertainment that
rivals The Strip in Las Vegas. There’s even a
supper club of sorts called Cirque Dreams and
Dinner, the first show of its kind at sea under
a big top.
These mega-ships are so large and so
complete that they could get by just fine without ports of call. They aren’t for everyone, of
course, but they are ideal for families and for
anyone who enjoys a variety of dining outlets
and entertainment options—basically, people
who enjoy city life combined with the amenities of a world-class resort.
To get a sense of what life is like on these
ships, let’s take a quick stroll down the
Boardwalk, then head over to look at Epic’s
entertainment options.
Stretching for almost a third of the ship’s
length, Allure (and Oasis) of the Seas’
Boardwalk is designed to resemble an old-time entertainment boardwalk à la Coney
Island, with a traditional carousel featuring
hand-carved wooden horses. There’s also an
ice cream parlor and candy shop, a casual
The Costco Connection
To learn about more cities at sea and other
cruises, call 1-877-849-2730 or click Travel
at Costco.com.
Mexican restaurant with a huge menu of margaritas, a hot dog stand, a Johnny Rockets®
burger joint, shops and more.
But the highlight of the Boardwalk is the
AquaTheater, an outdoor amphitheater
ringed around the largest and deepest fresh-water pool at sea, where Royal Caribbean
stages amazing shows featuring synchronized
swimming, acrobatics, aerialism and incredible high diving from a pair of 30-foot platforms. You could spend an entire vacation
never leaving the Boardwalk.
Along with Oasis and Allure, Epic offers
the best entertainment at sea. The headliner is
the world-renowned Blue Man Group. Other
crowd-pleasers include the legendary comedy
troupe Second City, the dueling-pianos show
Howl at the Moon, great musical performances at the Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club, the
Legends in Concert celebrity-impersonator
shows and the aforementioned Cirque Dreams
and Dinner. And, of course, like Las Vegas,
Epic has a casino.
Norwegian Cruise Line recently announced two new ships in its fleet: Norwegian
Breakaway, due out in 2013, and Norwegian
Getaway, which begins sailing in 2014. Each
will feature a suite complex called The Haven,
which will be like a ship within a ship, with
some of the biggest suites at sea, plus a private
restaurant, a cocktail bar and a concierge desk.
A day in these floating cities is almost
always a better value than a comparable day
in the big city. And these cities at sea have
another advantage over their land-based
counterparts: warm, sunny weather in new
destinations every day. C
Ralph Grizzle is an award-winning journalist
and avid cruiser.
SEVEN-NIGHT MEDITERRANEAN from $895 per person Valid on 5/27/12 sailing. Balcony Stateroom Norwegian Epic® Other sailings are available. Prices will vary.
• Exclusive member prices
• $100 shipboard credit† and $50 spa credit
• One bottle of wine
• Chocolate-covered strawberries
• Dinner at the steakhouse restaurant for two
All inclusions are per stateroom unless other wise speci;ed.*Price sho wn is per
person based on double occupancy, is valid for select stateroom categories only,
and does not include government taxes/fees and gratuities. Prices are in U. S.
dollars, are true and accurate at time of printing, are valid for travel as speci;ed,
are valid for ne w bookings only and are available to Costco members residing in
the United States. All offers and inclusions are subject to availability and may
change or be terminated without notice. Seasonal surcharges, fuel surcharges,
availability, blackout dates and restrictions may apply. Any unused portion(s)
of inclusions are nontransferable, nonrefundable and not redeemable for cash.
Cancellation and change fees may apply. Unless other wise noted, offers are not
combinable with select rate codes, coupons or other offers. Travel purchases
are not included in the Executive Membership annual 2% Reward program.
Offer shown is cruise-only. Costco Travel disclaims liability for any inaccuracies
or typographical errors. Ships’ registry: Bahamas. †Shipboard credit is per
stateroom based on double occupancy. For bookings made within three weeks
of departure, shipboard credit is not guaranteed. ‡Beverages are not included at
Johnny Rockets® or Giovanni’s Table. For additional details on inclusions, click
Travel at Costco.com. Costco Travel is registered as a seller of travel
in each of the states listed: California registration number: CST
2054248-50 • Florida registration number: ST 32555 • Hawaii
registration number: TAR 5595 • Iowa registration number: TA
620 • Nevada Seller of Travel registration number: 2007-0060 •
Washington registration number: WST 602042600. Registration
as a California Seller of Travel does not constitute approval by
the state. 12TR0210 11/11
