Winter Cruises from Broadway Travel from £299pp

Set sail with Broadway Travel this winter. They are offering a Belgium Christmas Market cruise from £299pp and a 12 night Atlantic Coast Cruise from £539pp.

£299pp - Five-Star Queen Victoria Belgium Christmas Market Cruise with Balcony Cabin

Bruges, Belgium: Spend three nights, full board, exploring Belgium this Christmas.

The Queen Victoria offers a range of dining options to suit every guest and also offers two swimming pools, a spa and four whirlpools. Guests can explore the cities of Bruges and Ghent – perhaps the best preserved medieval cities of Northern Europe with their cobbled streets, medieval edifices, glassy canals and of course their magical Christmas markets.

Ship departs and returns from Southampton from 16 December 2014.

Prices based on two sharing.

P&O Oriana, Iberian Cruise

£539pp - Four-Star 12 Night Atlantic Coast Cruise 

Spain & Portugal:  Beat the post-Christmas blues with a 12 day full-board winter cruise. Relax on board the P&O Oriana around one of the pools or the ships own spa. The ship will set sail to destinations across the Atlantic including Casablanca, Malaga, Cadiz and Lisbon (above).

Ship departs and returns from Southampton on  11 January 2015.

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Adventure Cruising blog

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Exploring Holland & Belgium, Expedition Style

We always try to bring you something new when we can here at World of Cruising. But an adventure cruise in Holland and Belgium with zodiacs? Read on!

Most expeditions with Lindblad Expeditions are epic, an immersion in  the wilderness. Many cover great swaths of geography, sometimes logging thousands of miles in a voyage. But this voyage is different. The 9-day Exploring the Low Countries: Holland and Belgium slows it down and offers a different kind of immersion, where lesser distances are covered and hidden facets of familiar places are explored.

Set to depart May 4,on the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer, the expedition will discover an ideal mix of cultural highlights including the perfectly preserved medievalism of Brugge and Gent, Amsterdam art, and the nature that formed the culture of the Low Countries, while exploring Holland and Belgium by sea.

 

Guests will visit islands renowned for their rustic beauty and birdlife; transit city canals by Zodiac; and experience all the charm for which these sites are renowned.
More info: visit www.expeditions.com or call (in the US) 1800 397 3348. 

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this month ONLY - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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Try A Marco Polo Sampler

Cruise & Maritime Voyages are the only line that offer regular cruises on the classic Marco Polo (above) from the River Thames at the London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury, with the chance for two 'sampler' voyages on this elegant 22,080-ton ship this December. And, with the benefit of great shopping and no flights, you can almost literally buy as much as you want!

Prices start from only £169 for the first person and just £85 for the second person, for the two-night cruise. Take your pick from:

1. Cruise to Ghent at the junction of the River Leie and Scheldt and Amsterdam on the North Sea Canal on December 15 for 3 nights. This is ideal for Christmas shopping when the Festive Market is in full swing in Ghent, or you can also visit neighbouring Bruges or Brussels. Amsterdam is well stocked for shopping and full of sightseeing interest. On board items such as spirits, perfume and other gifts, including jewellery, are also keenly priced and duty free. Prices are from £249 for the first person and £125 for the second.

2. On December 18, you can sail for two nights, again from London Tilbury to Antwerp with a pleasant journey along the River Scheldt. The city offers a good range of shopping in the main square and there are many quality shops close by. Marco Polo berths close to the main square that is just a 10-minute walk, and there visitors can buy local beer, chocolates and many unusual gifts not normally found in your local UK town.

Marco Polo is an adult-only traditional and classic ship. She boasts traditional wooden decks, is small enough to get to know your way around and offers the unique country-house-hotel style experience on board that Cruise & Maritime Voyages are known for.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's cruise-agent specialists.

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AMA's Big River-Cruise Savings

Yes, it's 'Special Offer' time again this week, and the latest comes from AMA Waterways and four terrific specially-priced European river-cruises, including a chance to cruise with former MP and 'Strictly' star Ann Widdecombe!

Cruise through Europe’s tulip fields, saving £400pp

AMA's week long 'Tulip Time’ cruises reveal the beauty and history of the Dutch and Belgian waterways in springtime, sailing past colourful tulip carpets, through green countryside dotted with world-famous windmills and visiting the great medieval cities of Antwerp and Ghent. Departing on March 35, April 3, 8, 12 and 23 and May 1, the voyage costs from £1,399 per person (was £1,599),

Luxury Provence river cruise, saving £550pp

Departing on March 29, this week-long luxury river-cruise embarks in Arles, the setting for many of Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpieces, and cruises to Lyon through Provence’s legendary wine regions. It costs from £1,839pp (was £2,389), and additional departures areon June 28, July 26 and August 9.

Portugal’s Enticing Douro, saving £281pp

The Douro is one of Europe’s most pure and unspoiled rivers, with deep cleft gorges, lush vineyards, and sleepy fishing villages. AMA's 7-night `Enticing Douro’ voyage departs on May 14 and offers a round-trip from Porto, making daily port calls along the route to picturesque towns and villages and places of interest, enabling guests to immerse themselves in local culture and traditions. The week long sailing now costs from £1,899 per person (was £2180), and additional departures are on May 21, Jun 18 and August 6.

Strictly come river cruising, with Ann Widdecombe

Strictly Come Dancing star, novelist, TV presenter and former MP Ann will talk about her life and career in presentations and book signings during a week-long river cruise down the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, departing on October 15. Guests can now sail in her company from just £1,975pp.

All prices include return UK flights, transfers, all meals, including wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily hosted excursions, free use of on-board bicycles and wi-fi.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury river-cruise experts.

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AMA's Spring Offers

There is always something special about a spring-time cruise, and AMA Waterways have some great offers for Holland, Belgium, Provence and the Douro in Portugal. Plus they have a special guest aboard in October. Read on for details...!
 

Cruise through Europe’s tulip fields, saving £400

AMA's week-long 'Tulip Time' cruises reveal the beauty and history of the Dutch and Belgian waterways in springtime, sailing past colourful tulip carpets, through green countryside dotted with world-famous windmills and visiting the great medieval cities of Antwerp and Ghent. Departing on March 25 and April 1, 8, 12 and 23, the luxury cruise costs from £1,199 per person, saving £400pp. 

Luxury Provence river cruise, saving £324pp

Departing on April 12, this week-long voyage embarks in Arles, the setting for many of Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpieces, and cruises to Lyon through Provence’s legendary wine regions. The cruise costs from £1,795pp, saving £324pp. Additional departures June 28 and July 26.

Portugal’s Enticing Douro, saving £450pp

The Douro is one of Europe’s most pure and unspoiled rivers, with deep cleft gorges, lush vineyards, and sleepy fishing villages. AMA's 7-night 'Enticing Douro’ cruise departs on March 26 and offers a round-trip from Porto, making daily port calls along the route to picturesque towns and villages and places of interest, enabling guests to immerse themselves in local culture and traditions. The sailing costs from £1,395 per person, saving £450pp.

Strictly river cruising, with Ann Widdecombe


Strictly Come Dancing star, novelist, TV presenter and former MP Ann Widdecombe will talk about her life and career in presentations and book signings during a week-long cruise down the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, departing on October 15. Guests can sail in her company from £1,975pp.

For bookings, follow this link to  the The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury river cruise specialists.

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AMA's Tulip-Time Savings!

Award-winning river cruise line AmaWaterways is offering savings of up to £450 per person on its Tulip Time cruises along the waterways of Belgium and The Netherlands this spring. Sailing round-trip from Amsterdam, this seven-night cruise offers a chance to see the lavish displays of tulips and other cultivated flowers that form dazzling carpets across the flat Dutch countryside from March to May. 

The voyage also visits Volendam and Edam, both famed for their cheese production; Arnhem; Nijmegen; and the city of Antwerp, known for its diamond production and fashion scene. There are tours to the pretty Belgian cities of Ghent and Bruges, as well as Kinderdijk, where the landscape is dotted with windmills. Sample more cheese at Gouda and visit Delft, home of the famous pottery. Finally, visit the legendary Keukenhof Gardens, planted with seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. This year, the gardens have a British theme and a highlight is a vast flower mosaic of Big Ben and Tower Bridge, created from some 60,000 bulbs.

The seven-night cruise on the state-of-the-art, 164-passenger AmaCerto departs March 25 and costs from £1,199 per person (reduced from £1,649), including flights from London, transfers, tours every day, all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner, complimentary wi-fi and use of the ship’s fleet of bicycles. Other departure dates include April 1, 8, 12 and 23.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury river-cruise specialists.

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Russell Watson Hits High Note With P&O

Classical singing star Russell Watson is to perform on two short break cruises with P&O Cruises in 2013. The world famous tenor will appear on new three and four-night sailings from Southampton in May and June.  The first departure is a three-night cruise to Belgium and Guernsey departing on Aurora on May 18, with prices starting at £299 per person.

The second sailing will see Watson perform on superliner Azura on a four-night cruise departing on July 5, calling at the same destinations. Prices are from £399pp. In addition to the performance, passengers on Azura can book pre or post-performance dinner in celebrity chef Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu restaurant, or Marco Pierre White’s Cafe Bordeaux on Aurora. 

The first port of call at Zeebrugge gives passengers the day to explore the city of Bruges, with the possibility of travelling further afield to visit Brussels, Ghent or Ypres. The second call in St Peter Port provides a gateway to the island of Guernsey. 

Watson has been in the spotlight since 1999 when his performance of World Cup anthem “Nessun Dorma” at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium received a standing ovation. The Russell Watson cruise itineraries, on sale from November 1, are: 

• A three-night cruise on board Aurora (R305), departing May 18. Itinerary: Southampton, Zeebrugge, St Peter Port, Southampton. Prices from £299 per person.
• A four-night cruise on board Azura (A316N), departing June 5 Itinerary: Southampton, Zeebrugge, St Peter Port, Southampton. Prices from £399 per person. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists.

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Ghent Festival In Belgium - From £239pp

New! 4 Night Cruise & Hotel Break To Ghent Festival In Belgium - From £239pp

Cruise overnight with DFDS and enjoy scrumptious food in the onboard restaurants, a drink in the bar and fabulous live entertainment before retiring to your en suite cabin for a peaceful night's sleep.

Awake refreshed for the coach transfer to Ghent, where you'll check into your city centre hotel before setting off to explore. Enjoy exploring the Blue Note Records Festival, the International Street Theatre Festival, the International Puppet Buskers Festival and the dance festival '10 Days Off' before a relaxing cruise home.

What's Included:
2 nights on board ship in an en suite cabin
Coach transfers to and from Ghent hotel
2 nights at 3* Novotel Ghent Centrum including breakfast
Departs Newcastle July 17

For more information, visit http://www.dfds.co.uk/

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Go Solo In Europe's Cultural Heart On A 5-Star River Cruise

According to award-winning river cruise operator, AMAWaterways, you're never alone on a European river cruise. The company maintain it's one of the easiest ways for a solo traveller to discover Europe's cultural highlights without lugging luggage, checking in and out of airports and hotels single handedly, or sitting conspicuously alone in a hotel restaurant. Daily guided excursions on-shore along the route and free seating at meal times ensure a sociable cruise atmosphere (without the sea sickness) and allow solo travellers to mingle as much or as little as they like.

AMAWaterways' river cruises along the Rhine and Danube take in Central Europe's riverside cities, vineyards and countryside, including some of the most picturesque surroundings. Departing in April 2011, there is a 7-night cruise through Holland and Belgium, passing carpets of colourful flowers and lush green countryside dotted with windmills and tours of historic towns and cities that include Antwerp and Ghent. Prices from £1439pp, saving £676 (cruise only).

Choose from these dates:

1st April, solo travellers £1439pp, saving £676
8th April, solo travellers £1499, saving £706
25th April, solo travellers £1629, saving £771

Cruise/Flight inclusive

1st April, solo travellers £1639pp, saving £676
8th April, solo travellers £1699, saving £706
25th April, solo travellers £1829, Saving £771

Cruise/Rail inclusive

1st April, solo travellers £1739pp, saving £676
8th April, solo travellers £1799, saving £706
25th April, solo travellers £1929, saving £771

Contact AMAWaterways on www.amawaterways.co.uk/ or contact one of the river-cruise specialists at UK cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd (http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/, 0800 008 6677).

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River Cruise Prize Draw at The Cruise Show

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Visitors to the Avalon Waterways stand (C12) at the Daily Telegraph’s Cruise Show taking place at Birmingham’s NEC from October 16-17 will be able to take advantage of an exclusive Cruise Show booking offer, special offers as well as enter a cruise holiday prize draw.

By booking at the Cruise Show, visitors can enjoy significant savings on their holiday. Not only that, they can enter an exciting prize draw to win an 8-day ‘Tulip Time’ cruise for two, worth more than £2,800. Avalon’s brand new cruise highlights the wide open spaces of Holland and Belgium with the pretty windmills of Kinderdijk, the medieval centre of Ghent and the dazzling displays of colourful tulips at the Keukenhof Gardens.

City sightseeing includes Antwerp’s superb architecture, the cosmopolitan city port of Rotterdam and the famous canals of Amsterdam. The prize includes chauffeur-driven transfers to and from home to the nearest UK airport (within a 75-mile radius), return flights and transfers, full board accommodation and complimentary soft drinks, wine or beer served with dinner.

The Avalon team, including knowledgeable cruise director Mark Wismeijer, will be on hand to tell visitors about their sleek and young fleet of ships with luxurious facilities and spacious staterooms, sized at 172sq ft each, as well as the highest levels of personalised service, fine dining and other creature comforts.

Would-be river cruisers can learn more about Avalon’s carefully-planned itineraries, with included excursions to get the most out of visiting Europe’s fascinating cities, famous landmarks and beautiful landscapes.

With state-of-the-art technology and design, these small and intimate ships are specially designed to provide the most relaxing environment to enjoy the passing scenery. Visitors will also hear about the two new ships which have been launched this year, the Avalon Felicity and Avalon Luminary (above).

Mark Wismeijer will be taking part in a panel discussion on river cruising on Saturday 16 October at 4pm in Cruise Theatre One. With cruise expert Steve Read acting as moderator, cruise executives from a number of river cruise companies will be taking a closer look at discovering the world by river. They will be joined by well known cruising journalist Jane Archer.

For further information or to request a brochure, ring Avalon Waterways on 0800 668 1802 or look up www.avaloncruises.co.uk/show.

Dont forget to check out the full details on the Cruise Show venues at Birmingham in October (16-17) and London next March (26-27).

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