Merry Christmas Cruisers

A Christmas video to put a smile on your face - Happy Holidays, and be safe - Linda

Carnival Cruise Deal

Carnival Cruise Lines – Carnival Victory – 7 Night Eastern Caribbean from $499

Sail from Miami to San Juan aboard the exciting Carnival Victory. Stroll the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, filled with galleries, boutiques, and history. Venture further south to St. Maarten for your choice of thirty-seven beaches.

* Endless entertainment with four swimming pools, inviting casino, spa and fitness center, as well as a kids club.

* The Mediterranean restaurant features two level casual dining and panoramic ocean views.

* Las Vegas-style productions in the gorgeous state-of-the-art, three level Caribbean Theater.

* Guests enjoyed the different dining venues from formal to casual including 24-hour pizzeria and room service.

Check out this cruise deal, and more deals from Carnival, and other cruise lines.

American Safari Cruises Offers Small-Group Charters

American Safari Cruises introduced a charter offering for groups of 12 or under to Mexico's Sea of Cortes.

The program is in response to requests for charter cruises on small yachts in Mexico.

The seven-night cruises aboard the 120-foot Safari Quest are available for up to 12 guests through March 25 for $99,995, including a six-person crew with professional naturalist, gourmet dining, a complimentary bar with premium spirits and fine wines, all off-yacht experiences and transfers.

The Safari Quest usually carries 22 guests at a higher charter rate; the special offer for 12 guests represents a savings of up to $27,900.

The one-way itinerary between Loreto and La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, includes tiny Isla Coyote where fishermen and their families live in the only permanent settlement in the islands, snorkeling with juvenile sea lions, a burro ride into the arroyos, and time for watching whales and other wildlife, kayaking, sailing, beachcombing and hiking.

Crystal Cruise Offers New Air Options - 2008 Europe

Crystal Cruises is expanding its air/sea program with two new air upgrade options for its 2008 Western and Northern Europe cruises.

A partnership with Eos Airlines provides a corporate jet-like experience, while Premium Economy service through British Airways and Scandinavian Airways offers more legroom and comfort than coach.

The services are available from specific U.S. gateways in addition to Crystal's coach air/sea fares.

This air upgrade is available to Crystal guests for travel between New York's JFK International Airport and London's Stansted International Airport in conjunction with nine April-through-August European and Baltic cruises beginning or ending in London, as well as the September transatlantic crossing from London to New York.


The air add-on fare is $1,300 more each way than the line's round-trip coach fare.

The Premium Economy upgrade is offered with all eight Baltic, North Cape and British Isles cruises departing June through August, as well as the September transatlantic voyage from London to New York.

The service is available on round-trips to London, Copenhagen and Stockholm via British Airways or Scandinavian Airlines, depending on the U.S. gateway. Round-trip add-on fares are $700 to $1,200 more than Crystal's coach air/sea fares.

The Crystal Symphony's Northern European cruises are seven to 14 days. Fares begin at $4,595 per person, double occupancy.

The cruise lines 11-, 12- and 13-day Western Europe itineraries on Crystal Serenity or Crystal Symphony begin at $3,395 per person, double occupancy.

Holland America Donates 800 Televisions

Holland America Line found itself with nearly 800 used television sets in good condition from the Westerdam.

As part of its ongoing Signature of Excellence fleet upgrade program, the sets were gradually replaced with new flat-screen TVs every Sunday when the ship returned to Fort Lauderdale on its weekly cruise schedule.

Holland America's community-relations representative in South Florida, contacted Neighbors 4 Neighbors, a 15-year-old public-service campaign run by South Florida's CBS network affiliate.

South Florida charities that received television sets include Alhambra Heights Residential Force, Borinquen Health Care Center, Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Camillus House, Children's Harbor, Citrus Health Networks, Community Partnership for Homeless, Concept House Inc., The Educational Fund, Fellowship House, Good Samaritans Action, Henderson Mental Health Center, MACtown, Partnership for Recovery Inc., Ronald McDonald House and The Village South.

Dec. 4 was the last day of the program when the final lot of replaced television sets was given away.

California Houseboat Vacations

Not exactly a cruise, but a great website to check out for those who love houseboat vacations . . . Linda

www.houseboats.com offers information on houseboating on California lakes.

California houseboats now feature spas, satellite television, DVDs, stereo systems, video games, and modern appliances.

Houseboats.com, which has several rental locations in Northern California, features houseboats that can accommodate 10 to 22 people.

SeaEscape New Year's Eve Cruise in Florida

SeaEscape is offering a New Year's Eve cruise that features a lavish dinner and live entertainment.

The dinner includes fresh green-lipped mussels, snow crab claws, chilled Gulf shrimp, crowns of Norwegian salmon, sashimi and sushi, Rock Cornish game hen, stuffed veal roast and sliced tenderloin of beef Wellington at the carving station.

The vessel will feature live entertainment and DJs playing rock, Latin, Reggae and Top 40 music. The casino features blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let It Ride, Texas Hold 'Em Bonus, Three-Card Poker, and slot and video poker machines.

Special New Year's Eve rates include the cruise fare and dinner buffet, a champagne toast at midnight and late-night snacks. A limited number of packages include cabins, champagne, preferred seating in the Verandah Dining Room and other amenities. Advance reservations are required.

Crystal Seven Continents Itineraries For 2009

Crystal Cruises is venturing to all seven continents in 2009, circling the Pacific, and featuring new itineraries in South America, Europe and the Middle East.

Sailing to 185 ports in 57 countries on 57 voyages, Crystal's 2009 program focuses on more port-intensive itineraries with overnight port stays on most cruises. Itineraries range from seven to 106 days, from the exotic to convenient North American departures.

Among the 2009 highlights are a 106-day "Pacific Circle Celebration" World Cruise round-trip from Los Angeles, including the inaugural ports of Rangiroa, French Polynesia; Komodo, Indonesia; Napier, New Zealand; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; and Petropavlosk, Russia.

Also featured is the 150th birthday of the Port of Yokohama and a return to Alaska. Crystal also will return to cruising the Amazon for the first time since 2006, operate a new fall cruise to Israel and Egypt, and feature overnight stays in Dubai on two cruises.

European maiden calls are scheduled to Kotor, Montenegro; Lipari, Italy; Patmos, Greece; Sinop, Turkey; Alesund, Norway and Kiel, Germany. Virtually all Mediterranean cruises feature overnight calls in cities including Barcelona, Istanbul, Monte Carlo, Venice and/or Sorrento.

Two ships will cruise in Asia, including China/Japan, Southeast Asia and India with overnight stays in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Osaka, Kobe, Bangkok, among many others. Baltic cruises of seven and 11 days feature overnight calls in Copenhagen and Stockholm, plus double overnights in St. Petersburg.

A North Cape cruise visits Spitsbergen and the Polar Ice Cap. A British Isles cruise features the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, while a Black Sea features an overnight stay in Odessa.

Reservations are open for Crystal's first quarter of 2009. Pricing and reservations for the remainder of 2009 will be available in early 2008.

Carnival Pride Moving to Miami in 2009

Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride will operate a series of seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami beginning in April 2009.

Three week-long itineraries will be offered through August 2009. Carnival Pride's seven-day program from Miami kicks off April 11, 2009, with a week-long cruise to San Juan, St. Thomas/St. John and St. Maarten.

Carnival Pride will then operate a series of seven-day Western Caribbean cruises from Miami to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios departing April 18, May 2, May 16, May 30, June 13, June 27, July 11, July 25, Aug. 8 and Aug. 22, 2009.

Also included in the program are seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises calling at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk. Departure dates include April 25, May 9, May 23, June 6, June 20, July 4, July 18, Aug. 1, Aug. 15 and Aug. 29, 2009.

Prior to these voyages, Carnival Pride will operate a 14-day Panama Canal cruise departing Long Beach, Calif., March 22 and arriving Miami April 5, 2009.

Featured ports include Manzanillo, Mexico; and Puntarenas, Costa Rica; prior to the Panama Canal transit; followed by Cartagena, Colombia; Ocho Rios; and Grand Cayman.

Carnival Pride will then operate a special one-time six-day cruise from Miami April 5-11, 2009, calling at Key West, Fla., Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios.

Reservations are currently being accepted for the Carnival Pride's 2009 seven-day cruises from Miami, as well as the 14-day Panama Canal cruise.

Princess Cruises' passengers are finding themselves in a winter wonderland as faux snow falls in the ship's atrium.

A new holiday feature on Princess ships with multi-story atriums, the daily snow flurries are adding to the holiday atmosphere on December sailings. The snow-making process creates falling flakes that vanish on contact.

The ships are trimmed from stem to stern in holiday décor, with a Christmas tree on the vessels' masts.

For more information, visit www.princess.com.