Fred Olsen Celebrate 100th Anniversary Of Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is going to be much in focus this year as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in August, and various lines are offering cruies to mark the centenary occasion with some special voyages. 

The latest offer to take in one of the world’s most spectacular engineering feats comes from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, who are offering the chance to commemorate the occasion on style aboard their flagship Balmoral. The 31-night ‘The Americas & Caribbean’ fly-cruise starts with a departure from London Gatwick on March 19 and sails all the way from San Diego, through the Caribbean and back to Southampton.

This exotic fly-cruise is one of the sectors of Balmoral’s 104-night World Cruise, which departed from Southampton back on January 5.

The obvious highlight of this trip, though, is a scenic cruise along the awe-inspiring Canal itself. Listed in CNN’s rundown of ‘11 places to go in 2014’, Panama is a tiny, but diverse, country of volcanoes, rainforests, coffee plantations and beautiful beaches, on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, which is also home to one of the most important trade waterways on the globe.

The ‘Big Ditch’, as the Panama Canal is known, lifts Balmoral with a fascinating system of mechanics, along the three great locks – Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores – aided by on-shore ‘mule’ locomotives, and passing under the iconic ‘Bridge of the Americas’.

More info: 0800 0355 242 www.fredolsencruises.com.

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Celebrate Canal's 100th Anniversary With Holland America

August 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the stunning engineering achievement that is the Panama Canal (and which will be featuring in World of Cruising later this year). And we are not surprised to see some of the cruise lines offering special commemorative deals to mark the occasion.

Holland America Line are the first, with an offering of a free $100 onboard credit per cabin on select Panama Canal sailings. The offer is available on 28 full and partial transits of the Canal throughout 2014, on five different ships. Ranging in length from 10 to 22 days, the different itinerary options provide guests with more ways to experience this amazing phenomenon than any other line.

An example cruise, eligible for this special anniversary deal, is the MS Westerdam's 14-night cruise, sailing on April 15. Departing from Fort Lauderdale, it calls at Cartagena before transiting the Panama Canal. It then continues to Puerta Caldera, Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, before disembarking in San Diego.

This 14-night fly-cruise starts from £2,175 per person, based on two sharing an inside cabin and the price includes return flights, full board accommodation, one night’s pre-cruise hotel stay and international transfers.

More info: 0843 374 2300 visit www.hollandamerica.co.uk.

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Holland America's Panama Canal Bonanza

To celebrate the Panama Canal’s 100th anniversary next year, six Holland America Line ships will sail 28 full and partial transits of the Canal throughout autumn 2013 and spring 2014. Ranging in length from 10 to 22 days, the extensive itinerary options provide guests with more ways to experience the Panama Canal than any other cruise line.

From September until April, MS Amsterdam, Statendam, Veendam, Westerdam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam will transit the Canal from six departure cities, including Veendam’s new departure from Boston, going between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The programme's highlights include:

Mexico and Costa Rica transit
Sail on the Zaandam from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on a 14-night cruise and explore Cabo San Lucas, Santa Cruz, Huatulco and Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; and Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. A whole day is then spent transiting the Panama Canal from Balboa to Cristobal before the ship moves on to its final port of call, Cartagena, Colombia. Fly-cruise prices start from £2,169pp on a September 19 departure, based on two sharing an inside cabin.
 

Overnight in Panama and private Caribbean island visit
Get an in-depth Panama and Caribbean experience on a 17-night cruise on the Zuiderdam, departing October 1, with fly-cruise prices starting from just £2,439pp, based on two sharing an inside cabin. Sailing from San Francisco, the ship overnights at Fuerte Amador so guests can get an extended experience of Panama City’s sights, sounds and flavour before making a full transit of the Canal itself. The ship then moves on to Cartagena and Half Moon Cay, the line’s private Bahamian island.

Cruise through rare tropical fjord

On February 8, the Veendam departs from San Diego on a 14-day scenic cruise taking in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, one of only three tropical fjords in the world. A whole day is spent transiting the Canal from Balboa to Cristobal followed by a call in Cartagena, before the ship moves north to Fort Lauderdale. Fly-cruise prices start from £2,219pp, based on two sharing an inside cabin.

NB: All fares are per person, double occupancy and do not include government taxes.

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

 

And don't forget you can read a full Panama Canal cruise report in the Summer edition of World of Cruising magazine!

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Celebrate the Festive Season with Silversea

Silversea Cruises is inviting travellers to wrap themselves in pampering luxury this festive season with a collection of enticing voyages that span the globe from Africa and the South Pacific to the Caribbean and South America.

This year, the all-suite, intimate ships of the Silversea fleet offer an elegant way to revel in the joy of the festive season with cruises ranging from 14 to 17 days. Designed to be a "home upon the oceans of the world," the all-inclusive vessels feature spacious ocean-view suites, most with private veranda, and the highest level of personalised service.

Highlighting the onboard ambiance for these voyages will be festive decorations, parties, menus and entertainment. With the exception of expedition cruises, clergy will be on board to conduct religious services, including a rabbi for Hanukkah. Plus distinguished guest lecturers and destination experts will also be on hand to host enlightening presentations.

And with "Passport to Luxury" Onboard Spending Credits of up to $1,000 per suite offered on these festive voyages, guests might choose to indulge in a little extra pampering in the spa or use their credit toward a host of other options, including any Silver Shore excursions (none are excluded), premium selections from the Connoisseur's List of wines and spirits, speciality restaurant dining fees, and/or purchases in the Internet Café and onboard boutiques.

Choose from this luxury collection:

VOYAGE 4137: Valparaiso (Santiago) to Fort Lauderdale, Silver Whisper, 17 Days, Dec 20-Jan 6. Calls in Coquimbo, Arica, Matarani, Callao (Lima), Salaverry, Manta, Puerto Limón and Key West. Highlights include $1,000 "Passport to Luxury" Onboard Spending Credit, a crossing of the Panama Canal and overnight stay in Callao. Guest Lecturers: Adrian Sindall, former British ambassador, and Dr. Carolyn Dudek, associate professor of political science. Fares start at £5,403.

VOYAGE 5138: Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale, Silver Spirit, 14 Days, Dec 20-Jan 3. Calls in Grand Turk, St. John’s, Bequia, Bridgetown, Castries, Gustavia, Spanish Town and Key West. Highlights include $500 "Passport to Luxury" Onboard Spending Credit. Guest Lecturers: Rick McKay, award-winning filmmaker, and Dr. Jay Wolff, historian and destination expert. Fares start at £4,623.

VOYAGE 3134: Sydney to Auckland, Silver Shadow, 15 Days, Dec 21-Jan 5. Calls in Melbourne, Hobart, Stewart Island, Dunedin, Picton, Napier and Tauranga. Highlights include $1,000 "Passport to Luxury" Onboard Spending Credit, overnight stay in Melbourne and cruising through the Milford and Dusky sounds. Guest Lecturers: Richard Tallboys, former British ambassador, and Dr. Lew Deitch, destination consultant. Fares start at £5,378.

VOYAGE 1131: San Diego to Fort Lauderdale, Silver Cloud, 16 Days, Dec 22-Jan 7. Calls in Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Puntarenas, San Blas Island and Cartagena. Highlights include $1,000 "Passport to Luxury" Onboard Spending Credit and a crossing of the Panama Canal. Guest Lecturers: Lawrence Rudner, former professor and aerospace engineer, and Michael Freedland, journalist, broadcaster and author. Fares start at £4,068.

NB: Fares listed above are cruise only, per person based on double occupancy for a Vista Suite and include port charges and handling.

For more info, visit www.silversea.com or consult the UK's leading luxury-cruise specialist agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Crystal Cancels Mazatlan

Amidst increased reports of violence in Mazatlán, Crystal Cruises are the latest line to cancel calls to the Mexican port town, scrapping its scheduled 4th April visit there on Crystal Symphony. The round-trip Los Angeles “Treasures of Mexico” voyage will now adjust its itinerary to allow guests more time in other ports of call.

The new schedule switches travel days so guests will now have an overnight call in popular Cabo San Lucas, with Crystal being the only cruise line in town for those two days. Subsequent days will provide travellers with a full day in Loreto and a half day in La Paz. Full days in Puerto Vallarta and San Diego are still on the schedule.

“The safety and security of our guests and staff is always our top priority,” says Crystal’s International Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Philip Ordever. “After monitoring the situation in Mazatlán for weeks, we simply feel far more comfortable with other ports of call in Mexico.”

The “Mind, Body, and Spirit” theme of the 31st March to 10th April sailing will remain unaffected, with numerous complimentary classes and presentations still being offered on board throughout the 10-night cruise.

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

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Oceania Cruises' New Ship Marina Christened In Miami

Oceania Cruises’new upper-premium cruise ship Marina was Christened in Miami last Saturday. The ship’s godmother, Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart, named the ship at a lavish, invitation-only gala ceremony, which culminated with a 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar of champagne, custom-made by Armand de Brignac, crashing against the hull. Among the ceremony highlights were inspirational performances by the Marina Choir, assembled for the event, and the appointment of Master Chef Jacques Pépin as honorary commodore of the Oceania Cruises’ fleet.

Marina is a ship of firsts, featuring the first Bon Appétit Culinary Center, Master Chef Jacques Pépin’s first namesake restaurant at sea, Ralph Lauren Home-furnished Owner’s Suites, luxurious accommodations by Dakota Jackson, a Wine Spectator wine program and a Lalique grand stairway.

The new vessel arrived in Miami after her maiden voyage from Barcelona. Following a short preview cruise, she departed on the first of two 18-day Panama Canal transits that visit San Francisco and San Diego, both new ports for Oceania Cruises. Marina then operates a 12-day Caribbean cruise, round-trip from Miami, departing March 16, before sailing along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and on to Europe to begin her inaugural Mediterranean season.

Marina has been purposefully designed to carry guests to the world’s most alluring ports in elegance and style. She is full of rich woods, marble and granite, fine wool carpets and lustrous leathers which adorn public rooms. Facilities include 10 dining venues six of which are open-seating gourmet restaurants, an array of bars and lounges, a full-service Canyon Ranch SpaClub and fitness centre, swimming pool and hot tubs.

She joins current fleet-mates Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, which have taken guests around the world since 2002. Her sister ship Riviera will be christened in April 2012. A leader in destination cruising and defining the upper-premium market, Oceania Cruises offers gourmet cuisine, gracious service and award-winning itineraries at an exceptional value.

For more information, visit www.oceaniacruises.com/ or the uxury cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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Beat the Winter Blues with Azamara

By guest blogger Steve Newman

With the temperature in Mexico averaging 21°C in January, leave the cold weather behind and head to sunnier climes with Azamara Club Cruises A 12-night Sea of Cortez fly/cruise onboard Azamara Journey (Above) costs from £1,804.00 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

Price includes return flights from London Heathrow, one-night pre-cruise hotel accommodation and an 11-night cruise departing San Diego (California) and calling at Mazatlan (Mexico), La Paz (Mexico), Topolobampo (Mexico), Guaymas (Mexico), Loreto (Mexico) and Cabo San Lucas (Mexico), before returning to San Diego (California); meals and room service; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programmes; housekeeping and dining gratuities; bottled water throughout the voyage; house wines with meals; specialty coffees and teas; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is based on 18 January 2011 departure.
For more information visit http://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/ or visit cruise specialists The Cruise Line

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