Fred. Olsen Highlights Newcastle Cruises

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has put the spotlight on its new summer cruise series from the port of Newcastle, with a series of special offers for those looking for an ex-UK voyage from the north of England.

Guests taking advantage of these Summer deals from Newcastle can also choose to upgrade with the popular ‘all-inclusive’ drinks package, for a special price of just £10 per person per night, which includes selected wines, spirits beers and soft drinks. What is more, premium branded drinks and cocktails are also available at half price.

The choice aboard their classic cruiser Black Watch is as follows:

July 9: 13-night Estonia & St Petersburg cruise

This voyage calls first at Ålborg, one of Denmark’s busiest trading centres, and home to Ålborghus Castle. Next, Black Watch heads for Warnemünde, the perfect base from which to explore Berlin and Rostock. After stopping at Saaremaa Island, Estonia’s largest island, the cruise continues to Tallinn, where the city’s spires, cobbled streets, castles and medieval and baroque architecture give it a real ‘fairytale’ feel. St. Petersburg is a highlight of any cruise, and guests can enjoy an overnight stop to take in the many sights, such as the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace and the impressive Peterhof grand palaces and fountains. After stopping at Karlskrona in Sweden, Black Watch reaches her final port, the Danish capital, Copenhagen, before returning to Newcastle. Prices start from £767pp.

July 22: 8-night ‘Fjords & Towns of Norway’ cruise

The first port of call is Ålesund, renowned for its Art Nouveau architecture, surrounding fjords and towering peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps. The next stop is Olden, from where guests can visit the mighty Briksdal Glacier, before Black Watch heads for Skjolden and Flåm. The latter is a historic town bursting with natural attractions, from coastal landscape to steep mountains and crashing waterfalls. The final stop is Bergen, with its historic wharf, famous fish market and surrounding fjords and mountains, ideal for exploring Hardangerfjord, Lysøen Island and Ulriken Mountain. Prices start from £632 per person.

July 30: 15-night Canary Islands Cruise

This cruise calls first at charming La Coruna, whose streets and squares house many medieval churches, museums and restaurants. Black Watch then makes her way to the greenest of the Canary Islands, La Palma, which also displays the characteristic lunar-like landscape associated with this volcanic archipelago. Santa Cruz, the island’s capital, is famous for its wooden balconies, cobbled streets, ancient buildings and gorgeous beaches. After stopping at Santa Cruz in Tenerife, the ship moves onto Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, a bustling port with an historic old quarter, Vegueta. Arrecife in Tenerife is the next stop, before Black Watch makes its way to the colourful Portuguese capital, Lisbon, and then makes the return journey to Newcastle.

All prices based on two adults sharing an inside, twin-bedded cabin, Grade ‘I’, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port dues.

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

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More Great Offers From Oceania

We love the many offers that are pouring into our office for the New Year, with the promise of a real cruise booking boom in the next few weeks. And here is a great example with some genuinely excellent savings from Oceania Cruises.

SCANDINAVIA

June 11: 14 nights, Southampton to Stockholm, £1,609, saving £2722 
Cruise from the port of Southampton and enjoy long, light, mid-summer evenings in Scandinavia and the Baltic on the 1,250-guest luxury cruise ship, Marina. The cruise calls into Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen, Warnemunde, Latvia, Estonia, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm and includes a $300 per stateroom credit to spend in the ship’s bars, spa and boutiques. Price includes return UK flights, all meals, no supplement for speciality dining, complimentary bottled water and soft drinks. 

THE CARIBBEAN

December 20: Christmas in the Grenadines, 14 nights £2,312, saving £2077 
This Christmas voyage also features a bonus of a $300/stateroom credit to spend on board. Oceania's newest ship Riviera spends Christmas in the British Virgin Islands and the Grenadines, with Christmas Day alongside the island of St. Vincent, Christmas Eve in Antigua and Boxing Day in Barbados

 
February 2: Caribbean hideaway, 10 nights £1,502, saving £1,266
Escape the British winter and spend 10 nights in February cruising the Caribbean on board Riviera. The 1,250-guest, mid-sized luxury ship will be sailing a round-trip cruise from Miami to the British Virgin Islands, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Barts, and includes a $500 ship-board credit per stateroom. 

THE FAR EAST

March 10: Oriental Grand Cruise, £3,222pp, saving £3,441pp 
Take a 25-night cruise from Beijing to Bangkok, visiting Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand on board mid-sized cruise ship Nautica, now on offer with a saving of £3,441pp, and again with a $500 ship-board credit per stateroom. 

PANAMA CANAL

April 20: Panama Canal transit and a £1,692pp saving
Oceania is opffering this 19-night cruise from Miami to San Francisco on the mid-sized Regatta, through the Caribbean Sea and along the west coast of Mexico via a magnificent Panama Canal transit, now from just £2,539pp (was £4,231). The cruise fare includes a $500 per stateroom credit to spend on board, return flights from the UK, all meals, bottled water and soft drinks. 

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

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Crystal's Northern Europe Sensory Adventures

Feel perfectly-chilled vodka slide down your throat while sitting snugly inside a Scandinavian "ice bar"; smell fresh-cut grass while swinging your 9-iron across championship golf courses in Ireland; hear the Russian Imperial Guard march to symphonic crescendos while welcoming you to the Royal Catherine Palace; taste homemade goat caramel among Norwegian fjords; and view Stockholm by hot-air balloon.

These are but a sampling of the extraordinary "sensory adventures" guests can savour as part of Crystal Cruises’ Northern European voyage collection that begins this May. Other shore-side excursions include:

Pop culture-related destinations such as Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm; the Beatles’ Liverpool; Belfast’s Titanic shipyard; St Andrews University, where Prince William and Kate Middleton met; and the Da Vinci Code’s Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh

Historical journeys related to Vikings in Stockholm, Dublin and Roskilde (near Copenhagen); genealogical emigration and the Cold War in Hamburg; and life behind Berlin’s Iron Curtain

Architectural tours spanning the Art Nouveau in Ålesund, Norway to the Modern in Berlin, plus eco-conscious trips like bird-watching in Runde Island (near Ålesund) and Shetland; kayaking the Finnish Archipelago (Helsinki); and exploring the wind-powered town of Paldiski (near Tallinn) by 4x4.

Adrenalin-fuelled adventures such as racing rally cars in Estonia; cosmonaut training, including zero-gravity weightlessness, near Moscow; and, in Crystal’s most over-the-top excursion of 2011, flying a MiG fighter jet over Russia - for $39,300.

Expanding on its “You Care, We Care” voluntourism initiative, Crystal is also offering a couple of excursions where guests can “give back” by packing and donating food at the Estonian Food Bank or volunteer at the Rostock Zoological Garden. These excursions are complimentary with Crystal Cruises, covering all logistical arrangements and costs.

Prices for Crystal’s Northern European voyages start from £4,207 per person (based on a May 22 departure), including free return economy flights, 11 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window, with all meals, soft drinks and port taxes.

In addition, as part of Crystal's "All Inclusive - As You Wish" promotion, guests on this voyage will also receive onboard spending money of $1,000 per person, which can be spent on shore excursions, spa treatments, alcoholic beverages, purchases in the onboard boutiques, gratuities or Vintage Room experiences.

For reservations, see www.crystalcruises.co.uk/ or contact the UK's leading luxury-cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

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Crystal Brings Stieg Larsson To Life In Stockholm

Tattoos….murder….secrets….Stockholm. Only one of these things is normally associated with a luxury cruise line, but with Crystal Cruises’ new Crystal Adventure - “Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm” - guests can discover a little Scandinavian intrigue first-hand in 2011.

With more than 46 million books sold worldwide, deceased Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s Millennium book series has made him the biggest novelist to come out of Europe since J.K. Rowling. All three books have been made into films while The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is now getting a big-budget Hollywood remake by renowned director David Fincher, and starring Daniel Craig and Robin Wright.

Crystal’s Larsson-focused shore excursion will take guests to the Stockholm island of Södermalm for a walking tour centred on his novels’ content. Much like the successful real-life Da Vinci Code tours that dot Europe, the tour will be spiced with factual information and intriguing stories that tie the real Stockholm to Larsson’s works of fiction.

This unique city view will be offered on three summer Baltic voyages on Crystal Serenity: May 22, 11-night “Baltic Explorer”; June 2, 11-night “Regal Treasures”; and June 27, 11-night “Jewels of the Baltic.” All three itineraries include overnights in Stockholm, as well as visits to Estonia, St Petersburg, Finland, Germany and Copenhagen.

The cost of the “Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm” excursion is $118 per person, which includes additional panoramic Stockholm highlights.

Prices for these Baltic voyages start from £4,207 per person (based on the May 22 departure) including free return economy class flights, 11 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window with all meals and soft drinks and port taxes. In addition, as part of Crystal's "All Inclusive - As You Wish" promotion, guests on this voyage will also receive onboard spending money of $1,000 per person, which can be spent on shore excursions, spa treatments, alcoholic beverages, purchases in the onboard boutiques, gratuities or Vintage Room experiences.

For reservations, call www.crystalcruises.co.uk or check with the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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