Cross the Atlantic on Anthem of the Seas for £799

Quantum of the Seas arrives in the UK today for the first – and possibly only – time, ready for a weekend being shown off to and being tested by some of the world’s media and travel trade partners.

Sister ship Anthem of the Seas (above) comes to Southampton in April 2015, and there are already deals on offer for her Transatlantic crossing to New York departing on 27 October.

Fares start at £799 pp for the nine-night cruise (including return flight to the UK) and an additional £299 secures a two-night stay in New York. The lead-in fare is for an inside cabin complete with virtual balcony – a wall-sized screen showing the view outside in real time. Outside cabins start at £899 pp and balconies are from £999.

Some of the other itineraries Anthem will be sailing during summer 2015 include a three-night cruise to Bruges and Le Havre departing 30 April from  £499 pp (ocean view) or £549 (balcony). An eight-night cruise to France and Spain, visiting Vigo, Gijon, Bilbao and Le Havre, departing 22 April, starts at £999 pp. A 13-night cruise to Vigo, Funchal, Lanzarote, Las Palmas and Tenerife, departing 15 September, from £1,699 (ocean view) and £1,899 (balcony).

The Quantum-class vessels are among the most technologically advanced cruise ships in the world, with first-of-a-kind features including dodgem cars, the NorthStar observation pod, a RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator, and robotic bartenders. The ships have also banished traditional main dining rooms and feature so-called Dynamic Dining in a number of themed restaurants.

That 27 October departure could be the last time we see Anthem in the UK - at present there are no plans for the ship to return to Europe. Details from Iglu Cruise  0208 544 6620.

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Explore the culture and history of the Baltic with Royal Caribbean International

At World of Cruising we know you like a bargain so here's a neat little offer for you!

Book a balcony stateroom for the same price as an outside stateroom with Royal Caribbean on select holidays before 31 March 2014 as part of the cruise line’s ‘Price’s with More WOW’ campaign. Families can enjoy an adventurous holiday exploring the Baltic, while taking advantage of a host of onboard activities including inline skating on the deck and mini-golf. Join Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas for a 12-night Baltic cruise from £1,599 per person (based on two people sharing a balcony stateroom).

Price includes a 12-night cruise departing from Southampton and calling at Oslo, Bilbao, Copenhagen, Muuga , St. Petersburg – overnight, Helsinki, Zeebrugge before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. 

Price is based on une 12 departure. Offer ends 31 March 2014. 

For more information or to book call 0844 493 2061 or visit  www.royalcaribbean.co.uk

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Bilbao Eyes Major Growth

We like to be on the ball here at World of Cruising, and our recent Three Of A Kind feature in our Jan/Feb edition highlighted the growing cruise influence of three Spanish ports on the Costa Verde, A Coruna, Bilbao and Santander.

Hot on the heels of our great feature by ports expert Susan Parker comes news from the Port of Bilbao that they are forecasting a 25% increase in cruise visitation this year at the same time as they are inaugurating a splendid new cruise berth.

 

The new quay for this spring (artist's rendering, above) will be 354 metres long with a 12m draft and will be built alongside the existing quay at a cost of €13.8m. On completion, the port will be able to accommodate an impressive 1,000m of berthing space for cruise ships

Based in the suburb of Getxo, the berths are located within walking distance of the city’s smart marina and just 1km from the nearest of Bilbao's many EU Blue Flag beaches.

MSC Cruises, Iberocruceros and Pullmantur are all continuing to use Bilbao as a turnaround port this year while Celebrity Cruises will be a first-time visitor as its Celebrity Constellation makes seven overnight calls in the course of the season.

In 2013, some 44 ships and 57,000 cruise tourists visited the Basque Country last year, with the bulk of passengers hailing from the UK (33%), Spain (20%), the US (19%) and Germany (5%).  

 

Bilbao city centre - which boasts the stunning Guggenheim Museum - is a 20-minute drive away, as is the International Airport. 

 

Shuttle buses are usually provided for trips to the beach and the nearby Vizcaya Transporter Bridge, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

 

More info: visit www.bilbaoport.es/aPBW/web/en/port/cruises/index.jsp.

 

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Celebrity Cruises With Oz Clarke

This October, gastronomes and wine enthusiasts can delve into Europe’s rich wine heritage with renowned expert Oz Clarke and Celebrity Cruises. Oz will lead a host of wine travel experiences, taking in renowned vineyards throughout France, Spain and Portugal during the spectacular annual grape harvest and provide guests the opportunity to enjoy gastronomic experiences and improve knowledge of wine through engaging and entertaining masterclasses.

The 12-night immersive holiday – designed to impress the palates of food and wine fans with some expert advice on hand – will allow guests to take advantage of the first-class restaurants and wine programmes onboard the recently refurbished Celebrity Infinity whilst travelling between Europe’s top wine producing regions.

Guests can customise their holiday with a series of package options to choose from, including:

• An intimate speciality dinner hosted by Oz, matching his personal wine recommendations to each part of a six-course Five Senses menu hosted in the speciality restaurant SS United States. Designed to stimulate all senses, this exclusive dinner costs just £69 per person.
• A series of five events hosted by Oz and Tom Forrest, a fellow wine expert. Tantalise the taste buds with a wine and cheese pairing; immerse yourself in the old world wines of France with an introduction to French wine; and brush up on your wine knowledge with masterclasses in Bordeaux wines, Spanish wine and Sherry; and a French wine masterclass. To experience all five events costs just £89 per person.

The European Immersive Wine Cruise departs during the wine harvest season from Harwich on October 12 and will call at Paris (port of Le Havre), Bordeaux (port of Le Verdon), La Rochelle, Bilbao, Vigo and Porto before returning to Harwich. It costs from just £699 per person (based on two adults sharing an inside stateroom).

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

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Celebrity's Exclusive Bordeaux Excursion With Oz Clarke

This autumn, guests on Celebrity Cruises’ new wine harvest holiday will have the chance to join famed wine connoisseur Oz Clarke and Vinopolis’ wine expert Tom Forrest on an exclusive, specially created shore excursion in Bordeaux. This bespoke chateaux experience will take guests on a tour of the experts’ favourite wines in the region that first inspired Clarke’s passion for wine. 

One-off vineyard wine tasting tour with Oz Clarke 

Port: Bordeaux; Duration: 9 hours; Price: £149 per adult: Guests can join celebrity wine buff Clarke and Forrest on a one-off excursion, visiting two chateaux to sample some of the most delicate wines of the region, accompanied by the president of the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux. Wines on offer during this excursion include some of the first ever tasted by Oz and, as well as inspiring his passion for the subject, are also personal favourites of both experts. The excursion also includes lunch, with the menu and wines specially chosen by the duo to complement the overall experience.

Sailing: Visit some of Europe’s top wine-producing regions in France, Spain and Portugal this harvest season on Celebrity's Celebrity Constellation on a 12-night immersive wine cruise from £849 per person (based on two people sharing a balcony stateroom).

The 12-night cruise departs from Southampton on October 13 and calls at Le Havre (for Paris), Le Verdon (for Bordeaux), Bilbao, Vigo and Porto before returning to Southampton. The price includes all meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

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

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Great Azamara Offer

Join Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey for a seven-night Spain & Portugal fly/cruise from just £1,618 per person this June (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

The price includes return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and a seven-night Spain & Portugal cruise departing from Lisbon and calling at Bilbao, St. Jean De Luz, St. Malo and St. Peter Port (Guernsey) before arriving in Rouen (for Paris); meals and room service; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programmes; housekeeping and dining gratuities; bottled water throughout the cruise; house wines with meals; speciality coffees and teas; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on June 25 departure.

For more info, visit www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk or the UK's leading luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Voyages of Discovery ‘Cruise Party’ to Celebrate Royal Wedding

Millions of Britons are expected to hold street parties to celebrate Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton this year – and guests on board Voyages of Discovery’s 'French and Spanish Sojourn' cruise will be joining in the royal fun, but at a street party with a twist – on a ship! Guests needn’t worry about missing the event as Voyages of Discovery will be televising the wedding onboard the MV Discovery for all to see. Revellers will be commemorating the marital union whilst cruising the picturesque borders of Spain and France from as little as £499 per person.

Price includes a 7-night cruise departing from Portsmouth and calling at Ferrol/La Coruna, Bilbao, Le Verdon, Nantes and St Peter Port, Guernsey, before eturning to Portsmouth; all meals, entertainment and gratuities on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees - no hidden extras, plus accompanied by expert guest speakers. Price is based on April 23 departure.

For more info, visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Castanets and Calypsos

By guest blogger Steve Newman

As we are only posting for a three days a week at the moment due to much travel, staff holidays, etc, we thought we would pop on two cruises today. Fred Olsen lines have a nine-night cruise to Iberia departing from and ending in Southampton on 27th September 2011.

This cruise first visits Lisbon, the elegant and picturesque Portuguese capital, then La Coruna in Spain, a fascinating mixture of architectural styles, with its quality medieval quarter and contrasting modern buildings. Next port is Bilbao, a vibrant and cosmopolitan town in the north of Spain – and home to the futuristic Guggenheim Museum. Last port, where the ship is at anchor, is Hendaye in France, situated on the frontier with Spain, and hemmed in by the Atlantic and the Pyrenees.

Their second cruise is a grand 28-night Caribbean voyage on Black Watch (above), departing from Southampton on 12th November 2010 and including visits to Tenerife, Barbados, St Georges, St Kitts, Tortola, Antigua and St Maarten before finally arriving back at Southampton via The Azores.

The company will also have a team of experts on hand at this autumn’s Daily Telegraph CRUISE Show in Birmingham, ready to inspire and inform visitors on the right kind of cruise for them. Visitors can take advantage of a variety of Fred. Olsen deals – exclusive to the Show – on selected sailings around the world. Fred. Olsen will be exhibiting on stand E20, with experts available to provide visitors with useful, informed advice on the wide range of cruises and itineraries. As well as a range of special exclusive show offers on many cruises, visitors booking on the day can save up to an additional £325 per person off brochure fares and special offers.

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