Seabourn's Easter Med Extravaganza

For those looking for a luxury Easter experience, ultra-deluxe Seabourn Cruise Line is featuring some great-value Mediterranean voyages that have definitely caught our attention here at the World of Cruising office.

 

And, while we will all be hard at work here (sadly), anyone who fancies a memorable voyage, in high style - and at a great price - would be well advised to read on.

 

The three Med fly-and-cruise itineraries all feature some of the region's most spectacular ports, while the special offers include complimentary suite upgrades and signature Seabourn experiences. Take your pick from:

 

The 12-day Mediterranean Mosaic
Departing April 5 on Seabourn Quest, from Barcelona to Athens, this voyage calls at Valencia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina, Iraklion, Rhodes, Bodrum and Ermoupolis, before reaching Piraeus (for Athens). Cruise prices start from just £2,899pp (cruise only) or £3,459pp (with flights included) and include a complimentary upgrade to a Veranda Suite.

12-day Mediterranean Island Quest
This voyage departs April 17, also on Seabourn Quest, from Athens to Barcelona and calls at Kusadasi, Cesme, Mykonos, Rethymnon, Valletta, Trapani, Propriano, Monte Carlo, Marseille and Barcelona. It costs from £3,449pp (with flights included) and also includes a complimentary upgrade to a Veranda Suite.

10-day Mediterranean Magic & Rome
Departing May 13 on Seabourn Sojourn, this cruise sails from Barcelona to Athens, with the ports of call being Barcelona, Palamos, St Tropez, Ajaccio, Civitavecchia, Sorrento, Messina, Mykonos, Platis Gialos and Piraeus (for Athens). Prices start from £2,879pp (cruise only) or £3,269pp (with flights included) and again include a complimentary upgrade to a Veranda Suite.

The programme will also feature an array of Shore Excursions, where guests can enjoy unique access to onshore events, including an evening concert at the Ephesus Odeon Theatre.

More info: call 0843 373 2000 or visit www.seabourn.co.uk.

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Tackle A Cyclades Cruise-And-Stay With Star Clippers

Tall ship specialist Star Clippers has introduced a stay-and-cruise package for the school holidays this summer, combining a week on the Greek island of Rhodes with a sailing voyage round-trip from Athens, through the Cyclades islands.

Spend a week soaking up the summer sunshine at the award-winning five-star Rodos Palladium Hotel, situated on a wide, sandy beach at Kallithea, close to Rhodes Town, the island’s capital. As well as a stunning, lagoon-shaped pool, there are three restaurants and four bars, a lavish spa and a children’s club. Laze on the beach or explore the medieval centre of Rhodes Town, which was built by the Knights of St John.

After a week, fly the short distance to Athens to join the 170-passenger Star Clipper for a seven-night odyssey through the Greek Islands. The ports on this cruise are ideal for families, with plenty of beaches to explore, and complimentary water sports activities masterminded by the ship’s sports team. Calls include the Turkish resort of Bodrum, the beautiful Dalyan River, and the islands of Santorini and Hydra.

The cruise-stay holiday costs from £1,999 per person, departing July 13, including flights, transfers, half board in the hotel, full board on Star Clipper and all port taxes. Alternative sailing dates that can be combined with the Rodos Palladium Hotel include August 17 (southern Cyclades) and August 10 and 24 (Northern Cyclades sailing round-trip from Athens to Kusadasi, Patmos, Amorgos, Mykonos and Monemvasia). To qualify for this offer, bookings need to be made by April 30.

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

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Star Clippers Offers Med History

Tall ship sailing specialist Star Clippers has announced a series of lectures on Mediterranean history that will take place on two Cyclades voyages on their majestic 170-passenger Star Clipper this summer.

Dr Renate Scheiper, a qualified archaeologist and expert in the Mediterranean region, will be on board on August 17 and 24 to give talks to guests in both English and German. Her lectures will be specific to the ports to which the four-masted clipper ship will be sailing, bringing each destination alive. Subjects on the August 17 departure, which sails to Rhodes, Bodrum, the Dalyan River, Santorini and Hydra, include archaeology, medieval history, mythology and the legend of Atlantis. Prices are from £1,435pp, including full board on the ship, all lectures and port taxes (flights are extra).

On the August 24 departure, which calls at Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Patmos, Amorgos, Mykonos and Monemvasia, Dr Scheiper will discuss the history of Ephesus, St John the Apostle and the monastery on Patmos, and the temples of Delos. Prices are from £1,435pp, including full board on the ship, all lectures and port taxes (flights extra).

As well as Dr Scheiper’s historical lectures, Star Clippers will be offering yoga and culinary-themed cruises this summer in the Mediterranean and the Baltic.

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

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Greece & Turkey The Celebrity Way

How's this for the Deal of the Day? Join Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Constellation on a 12-night Greek Isles & Turkey fly/cruise from just £1,262 per person this autumn (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

The price includes return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and a 12-night Greek Isles & Turkey cruise departing from Istanbul and calling at Kusadasi (for Ephesus, Turkey), Bodrum (Turkey), Rhodes (Greece), Marmaris (Turkey), Santorini (Greece), Piraeus (for Athens), Mykonos (Greece) and Chania (Crete) before returning to Istanbul; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on October 13 departure.

For more info, visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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Head For The Sunshine with Celebrity

Join Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Constellation for a sunshine-laden 12-night Greek Isles & Turkey fly/cruise from just £1,294 per person (based on two sharing an inside stateroom) this autumn.

The price includes return flights from London Heathrow, transfers and the 12-night Greek Isleas & Turkey cruise departing Istanbul and calling at Ephesus, Bodrum, Marmaris, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens, Mykonos and Chania (Crete), before returning to Istanbul; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price based on September 19 departure.

For more info, visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk or contact the cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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Free Flights With Star Clippers

Niche tall ship cruise operator Star Clippers is offering free flights up to £400pp with bookings for tall-ship cruises from Athens, through the Greek islands, this August. Sailings include all meals and a choice of two superb itineraries, the Southern Cyclades (August 6 and 20) and the Northern Cyclades (August 13 and 27), on board the 170-passenger, 4-masted Star Clipper.

The cruise costs from £1295 per person, based on two sharing, for bookings made by June 30. Guests on the August 6 and 20 departures can also enjoy complimentary instruction from yoga teacher Christel Vollmer who will be holding daily sessions of Astanga yoga on deck in the cool morning air, with a second session just before sunset, including meditation. Christel will also deliver lectures on the philosophy of yoga and advice for practice at home.

The Northern Cyclades itinerary departs from Athens and calls into Camlimani and Kusadasi (for the antiquities at Ephesus) in Turkey, and Patmos, Amorgos, Mykonos and Monemvasia in Greece. The August 13 departure has a qualified yoga teacher on board and also offers complimentary talks, classes and guided meditation.

The Southern Cyclades itinerary is a round-trip from Athens, calling at Rhodes; Bodrum and Dalyan in Turkey; and dramatic Santorini and Hydra, haunt of many artists. The August 6 departure has a qualified yoga teacher on board and also offers complimentary talks, classes and guided meditation.

For more info, visit www.starclippers.co.uk or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Go Yoga Cruising With Star Clippers!

Tall ship specialist Star Clippers is offering guests free daily yoga and meditation in August as part of two yoga-themed cruises in the Aegean Sea on board the 170-passenger tall ship Star Clipper.

With settings including the emerald and turquoise coastline of Turkey, or the dramatic, black volcanic cliffs of Santorini as a background, yoga classes will take place in the open air, on Star Clipper’s sun-warmed teak decks, under thousands of square feet of billowing sails – the ultimate relaxation for body and soul, enhanced by the fresh sea air.

Qualified yoga teacher Christel Vollmer will be holding the daily sessions of Astanga yoga, also known as power yoga, on deck in the cool morning air, with a second session just before sunset, including meditation. Christel will also deliver lectures on the philosophy of yoga and advice for practice at home.

For those who want to follow a healthy or vegetarian diet during the cruise, Star Clippers’ usual sumptuous breakfast buffets, piled with fresh, seasonal fruits, and magnificent arrays of salads at lunchtime will be available, as well as vegetarian choices at dinner.

Astanga yoga is a dynamic and powerful style of yoga based on a sequence of easy-to-learn movements called asanas. Christel’s classes, which take place in English, will be suitable for all levels and no prior experience is required. There is no upper age limit for practicing yoga; Christel herself is in her fifties, with many years of teaching experience, having trained under West Coast-based Bryan Kest, yoga guru to stars including Madonna, Cindy Crawford and Sting.

There are two yoga cruises to choose between. 'Southern Cyclades' departs Athens on August 6 and calls at Rhodes, Bodrum, the Dalyan River, Santorini and Hydra. 'Northern Cyclades', also on Star Clipper, departs Athens on August 13 and calls at Kusadasi, Patmos, Amorgos, Mykonos and Monemvasia. Each itinerary includes a day at sea for extra relaxation and contemplation.

Prices start from £1,160 per person, including flights from London (to the value of £350 per person), port taxes and full board on the ship (transfers are extra).

For more info, see www.starclippers.co.uk or the adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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