Windstar Cruises 2013 Voyage Brochure

Luxury Windstar Cruises has just published its 120-page Voyage Collection Brochure featuring 2013 sailing schedules.

Featured are cruises to the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Italy, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Greek Isles, and trans-Atlantic crossings.

Exciting new itineraries will debut in 2013 exploring origins of world religions with Footsteps of Faith, and Gaelic Explorers which will take cruisers through the hills, highlands, castles and pubs of Ireland and Scotland.

The 2013 brochure also features the floor-plans for the recently renovated Wind Star and the soon-to-be renovated Wind Surf and Wind Spirit.

Check this out! For a limited time, enjoy 2-for-1 fares on all 2013 voyages when you book by September 1, 2012. Visit the site for more info NEW in 2013 from Windstar

MSC Cruises Just $449 If Booked By June 30

MSC Cruises is offering fares starting at $449 on select seven-night cruises, including some on the new MSC Divina, this summer and fall on bookings made by June 30.

These cruise-only rates begin at $449 for select summer cruises and $499 for select fall itineraries.

Among the roundtrip itineraries available this summer and fall at limited-time rates are:

• MSC Divina’s “Divine Mediterranean” itineraries from Venice at rates beginning at $1,049 in the summer and $599 in the fall

• MSC Sinfonia’s “Sparkling Mediterranean Rivieras” departing Genoa from $449; MSC Splendida’s “Splendid Mediterranean” cruises from Genoa from $499

• MSC Magnifica’s “Baltic Castles & Russian Palaces” from $1,049; MSC Musica’s “Greek Islands in the Sun” from Venice beginning at $499

• MSC Opera’s eight-night “Majestic Medieval Europe” sailing from Southampton beginning at $799

Also check out other discounted cruises from MSC
http://www.cruises.com/promotion/cheap-cruises.do

Crystal Cruises 2 for 1 Worldwide Fares

Booking a cruise early saves money - and you get the pick of your itineraries and cabins.

Crystal Cruises is running its two-for-one sale for 2013 itineraries. Right now, there’s plenty of availability, so whatever stateroom or voyage you want is yours.

2013 offers a diverse collection of cruises with 64 itineraries to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, Australia & New Zealand, the Pacific Coast, South America, Panama Canal, the Caribbean, New England & Canada and Trans-Ocean.

What You Get:

• 2-for-1 fares (with up to an additional $2000 off)
• All meals, including fine wine, premium spirits, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages 
• All gratuities

Book by June 30, 2012 and enjoy exclusive limited-time savings and value

For more information or to book, please visit Crystal Cruises, or call (888) 799-4625.

First Look at Oceania Cruises' Newest Gem

Riviera, the newest ship in the Oceania Cruises fleet, is now sailing on its inaugural cruise from Monaco to Venice, Italy. 

The christening ceremony was held mid-cruise in Barcelona on May 12, with Cat Cora, the Food Network’s only female Iron Chef, as the godmother.

Read more, and watch the video First look at Oceania Cruises' Newest Gem |

60% Savings on Select Mediterranean Sea Dream Yachting Voyages

Only 112 Guests - 95 Award Winning Crew - 5 Star Cuisine Inclusive

SeaDream’s specially priced voyages offer a great opportunity to experience

SeaDream’s unique yachting cruises at significant savings. These voyages are updated often.

So if you have always dreamed of walking along the street in Santorini, enjoying the nightlife in St. Tropez, swimming in the bioluminescent waters of Mosquito Bay or sleeping under the stars on a Balinese Dream Bed, it is possible along with fabulous savings on Mediterranean Voyages.

http://www.seadreamyachtclub.com/voyages/special_offers

Crystal Raises Rates On 19 Cruises, Releases Booking Deadlines

Early booking specials can save couples as much as $4,600 off Crystal’s 2013 World Cruise.

Crystal Cruises raised rates from $200-$1,000 per couple on 19 cruises for 2012 and 2013.

Current Book Now fares, announced on March 1, expire on April 30 and June 30 for 2012 and 2013 voyages.

The line’s Book Now promotion provides travelers with a two-month window for the lowest rates on every worldwide cruise aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. Every 60 days Crystal is reviewing its pricing on each cruise.

Since the Book Now pricing program was launched in Sept. 2011, Crystal has raised fares with each booking deadline. Additional price increases are expected on April 30 for 2012 cruises and June 30 for 2013 voyages.

Traveling the world, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will visit 182 ports-of-call in 59 countries on 60 itineraries worldwide in 2012, 64 voyage options, visiting 226 ports and 62 countries in 2013.

Destination choices include: Western and eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Cape, western Europe, Greek Isles, Baltic & Russia, China, Japan, southeast Asia, Australia, South Pacific, South America, New England/Canada, Panama Canal, British Isles, Canary Islands and Mexican Riviera on itineraries of seven to 98 days.

For more information, visit www.crystalcruises.com

Source: TravelAgentCentral

Star Clippers Free Air, Offering 25 Percent Off

Star Clippers is offering free air from select cities and 25% savings on five Mediterranean sailings aboard Royal Clipper and Star Clipper this year. 

Royal Clipper’s April 28, May 5 and May 12 “Sicily and Amalfi” cruise sails roundtrip Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, and calls at Ponza, Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi, Taormina and Lipari, all in Italy. The cruise includes an evening cruising past the still-active Stromboli volcano.

Star Clipper sails two “Greek Isles and Turkey” itineraries in May, both seven-night roundtrips from Athens, Greece. The May 5 departure calls at Camlimani and Kusadasi, Turkey; and Patmos, Amorgos, Mykonos and Monemvasia, Greece. The May 12 sailing calls at Rhodes, Santorini and Hydra, Greece; and Bodrum and Dalyan River, Turkey.

Cruise fares for Royal Clipper’s Civitavecchia sailings begin at $2,780 and fares for Star Clipper’s Athens voyages begin at $2,774, both per person, double occupancy, including the free air and 25 percent off the brochure rates. These fares also include port charges and government air tax/surcharges.

Free air is available from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

Source: TravelPulse

Paul Gauguin Cruises Announce Caribbean/Mediterranean Cruises

Paul Gauguin Cruises Adds New Ship, Plans Caribbean / Mediterranean Itineraries

Paul Gauguin Cruises just announced it has acquired a new 90-passenger ship (provenance currently unknown) that it will be positioning in the Mediterranean for summer cruises and in the Caribbean and Latin America for winter.

"We are monumentally proud to add a second ship to our Pacific Beachcomber portfolio and Paul Gauguin Cruises family," said Diane Moore, Paul Gauguin Cruises' president, in a media statement. "This is an incredibly huge branding achievement for the growth of our cruise line and I look forward to welcoming fans of the Gauguin onboard our latest addition."

Though PG hasn't yet revealed the identity of its new acquisition, they have noted that she'll undergo a renovation in November 2012 and be rechristened m/v Moana before sailing her first new cruises in December 2012.

"Emphasis," says the line's statement, "will be on delivering unique destinations that larger ships cannot offer and exploring hidden ports throughout these regions."

Source: TravelAgentCentral

Windstar Rivieras Voyages Special Fares

Windstars New Rivieras Voyages Special Fares

Windstar Cruises is offering special fares on the two new “Glitter & Glam of the Rivieras” voyages.

The six-day “Glitter & Glam of the Rivieras I” departs April 22 and Sept. 14 from Barcelona and visit St. Tropez, France (overnight); Cannes, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Portovenere and Portoferraio, Italy. Special fares start at $1,999 per person, double occupancy, when booked by Oct. 31.

The six-day “Glitter & Glam of the Rivieras II” on Wind Surf sails from Rome to Barcelona, visiting Portoferraio, Portovenere, Monte Carlo overnight, Cannes, and St. Tropez overnight. Special fares start at $1,999 on the July 2 departure and $1,799 on the Oct. 29, 2012, departure, when booked by Oct. 31.

For more information, call 800-258-7245 or visit www.windstarcruises.com

Alicante, Spain Busy with Royal Caribbean Cruises

The Port of Alicante, Spain this week has received more than four thousand tourists arriving on board the biggest cruise ship that sailed the Mediterranean Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas.




Head over to Royal Caribbean's Blog to read more on this post, and also other recent posts:

• Photo of the Day: Mariner of the Seas pool deck

• Ship building firm Navantia to work on Splendour of the Seas upgrades

• Friday Soundoff: Did Royal Caribbean make amends for San Juan incident?

RCI Blog

Has the Mediterranean Become the New Caribbean?

The weak economy means it's much cheaper to call on Mediterranean ports these days - Spain, Italy, Greece and France.

Cruises under $100 per day are common now, and some are even cheaper if it isn't during the peak summer season.

Read full post at Bankrate

Holland America Line Unveils 2011, 2012 Grand Voyages

Reservations are open for Holland America Line's fall 2011 and early 2012 cruises of four itineraries on two of its ships across all seven continents.

Guests may book the full cruise or in segments of 18- to 112-day voyages.

Full-cruise passengers booking early can benefit from amenities including prepaid hotel service charges, shipboard credit, luggage delivery service and a complimentary shore excursion or event for select stateroom categories.

In the fall of 2011, ms Amsterdam will embark on the 70-day Grand Asia and Australia Voyage and the 112-day world cruise, Grand World Voyage.

In January 2012, the ms Prinsendam will go on the 68-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage, before the 62-day Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage in March.

Cruise activities will include local cultural entertainment and guest headliners and lecturers. Dining will feature local ingredients and regional cuisine and wines. On-board service will include almost one crew member for every two guests.

Visit www.hollandamerica.com

Mediterranean Cruises 101 Guide

 
Plan your perfect Mediterranean cruise vacation with our expert tips and easy-reference overview to the region

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• When is Mediterranean cruise season?me
• How long do Mediterranean cruises last?
• What ports do Mediterranean cruises leave from?
• What kind of cruise lines operate in the Mediterranean?
• How much do Mediterranean cruises cost?

Mediterranean Cruises 101

Mediterranean New Cruising Hot Spot

Currently the Mediterranean is the hot spot for growth in the cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean announced the Grandeur of the Seas to Palm de Mallorca in May 2011.

Norwegian Cruise Lines new ship Epic (shown above) will be sailing out of Barcelona from May to October 2011.

And the Carnival Magic will also be based in Barcelona when it debuts.

Costa's newest ship - the Favolosa will deput in the Eastern Mediterranean. The maiden voyage will sail from Venice on July 7, 2011 on a 10 day cruise to Israel, Greece, Turkey and Crotia.  Costa Favolosa regular schedule will be operating 7 day cruises from Venice and Bari to Turkey, Greece and Croatia.