Door-to-Door With Fred Olsen

Here's something to add to the New Year 'Inbox' of great cruise incentives as part of the big 'Wave' season of sales - Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests on longer-duration 2014/15 cruises a complimentary ‘door-to-door’ transport service.

 

The initiative, which is available on bookings made up to February 28, will be applicable on a selection of 21 longer cruises with Fred. Olsen in 2014/15, for guests who live within 250 miles of the departure port.

Cruise itineraries included in the new ‘Free Door-to-Door Transport’ offer are:

• Braemar’s 22-night ‘Venice & the Beauty of the Adriatic’ cruise, from Southampton on  September 13. Guests on this cruise will stop first in Gibraltar, before moving onto Valletta, Bari, Split, Venice, Ravenna, Dubrovnik, Trapani, Cartagena and Lisbon, before returning to Southampton. Prices start from £1,799 per person.
• Boudicca’s 28-night ‘Empires of the Mediterranean & the Black Sea’ cruise, from Liverpool on  October 11. Leaving Liverpool behind, guests will arrive in Tangier, before cruising onto Valletta, Varna, Odessa, Sevastopol, Istanbul, Izmir, Piraeus, Thira, Catania, Almeria and finally Gibraltar. Prices start from £2,285 per person.

Fred. Olsen’s new ‘Free Door-to-Door Transport’ enhancement is also available on a number of exotic fly-cruises. 

More info:  call 0800 0355 242 or visit www.fredolsencruises.com.

 

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Sushi Maestro On Board With Crystal

One of the world’s greatest culinary artists, Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, is visiting his luxury cruise partner, Crystal Cruises, this summer to teach, mingle, dine and cook for guests. The famed sushi maestro, and mastermind behind the line’s exclusive Silk Road and The Sushi Bar restaurants, will join Crystal Symphony’s 12-night Rome to Istanbul Black Sea voyage beginning July 13. 

Accompanied by Fumio Hazu, the Sake Master behind Nobu’s exclusive, 140-year-old sake brand, the two will showcase their expertise during several intimate gourmet experiences, including:

• Two Omakase or Chef’s Choice dinners in Silk Road, limited to just 70 guests and featuring some of Nobu’s finest dishes and connoisseur items such as white sturgeon caviar and Hokusetsu “Musical Sake”.
• Sake tasting sessions, including insight into Hazu’s unique “live” sake brewing processes which include playing Japanese music to bottles for three years to create a smoother taste from vibrations.
• Live cooking demonstrations during which Nobu will share the secrets behind his renowned dishes.
• Silk Road and The Sushi Bar appearances during regular dinner hours to welcome guests and enhance the enjoyment of their meal.
• Cookbook signings and photo opportunities throughout the voyage.

Crystal’s Nobu-cuisine restaurants, the only ones of their kind at sea, feature his personally-trained chefs, signature dishes, Nobu sake and his own line of dinnerware. Complimentary and open almost every evening of every cruise, the restaurants offer mouth-watering dishes that are also available via room service in Crystal’s butler-serviced Penthouse accommodations.

The 12-night “Bounties of the Black Sea” itinerary starts in Rome’s port of Civitavecchia and visits Sorrento, Sicily, Constanţa, Odessa (overnight), Yalta and Sochi before finishing with an overnight in Istanbul. All-inclusive “Book Now” fly/cruise fares start from £4,148 per person, if booked by February 28. 

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

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Reignite Olympic Passion With Voyages of Discovery

Still missing the likes of Tom Daley and Victoria Pendleton taking over your TV screen? Join Voyages of Discovery’s MV Discovery and visit the home country of the 2014 winter Olympics.

The 12-day Black Sea Explorer cruise, which costs from £1,299 per person, calls at Sochi in Russia, which offers the opportunity to visit the neighbouring town Krasnaya Polyana, the host of the next winter Olympics and popular with skiers and snowboarders from around the world.

Non-sports enthusiasts can explore the rich culture of Odessa (Ukraine), which is known as the St. Petersburg of the south. Take in the iconic Odessa Opera House and the Uspensky Cathedral before visiting the home of Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin.

The Black Sea Explorer departs from Istanbul on October 19 and calls at Trabzon, Sochi (overnight), Novorossiysk (Russia), Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa (Ukraine) and Nesebur (Bulgaria) before returning to Istanbul (overnight).

Price includes return flights from a major UK airport, transfers, all on board gratuities, service charges and port/airport taxes, a comprehensive Guest Speaker programme and all meals and entertainment on-board. Plus, passengers can take advantage of reduced single supplement on all categories.

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

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Fred Olsen Go Dancing!

Dance fans are in for a treat on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ 28-night Black Sea cruise on board Black Watch this autumn. This exotic voyage – departing from Dover on September 25 – will feature the talents of professional dancer Debbie Snashall and dance duo Joanne Almond and Leighton Jones (above), as part of the cruise line’s award-winning Vistas onboard enrichment programme.

Black Watch calls first in Almeria (Spain), before visiting Malta’s lively capital, Valletta. Next stop is Piraeus, for tours to historic Athens, followed by the Black Sea ports of Varna (Bulgaria), Odessa, Sevastopol and Yalta (in the Ukraine). The ship then makes for Turkey, where she stays overnight in Istanbul. Here, guests can choose to stroll around the Sultanahmet, take in the mosques, museums and the Great Bazaar, or explore the Galata Bridge and enjoy the many restaurants and shops of the modern city.

The cruise then continues to Çanakkale before returning to Greece, with a day in Iraklion, capital of the island of Crete. On the return journey, the cruise visits Palma de Mallorca and Gibraltar, where guests can visit the world-famous Rock with its popular Barbary Apes, or take advantage of the excellent Duty Free shopping, before returning to Dover on October 23.

Prices for this cruise start from £3,149, for two adults sharing a twin-bedded cabin, Grade ‘E’, and include all meals and accommodation, entertainment – including the Vistas ‘Dance’ theme – and port taxes.

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

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Titan Expands No-Fly Cruise Tours

Titan Travel has expanded its no-fly cruising to Norway’s Fjords, Cape Verde Islands, the Iberian Peninsula, the Black Sea and France’s River Seine and Oise.  

Each tour begins and ends with the unique Titan VIP Home Departure Service ensuring passengers arrive at their destination relaxed and ready to enjoy the tour. In the UK, guests are driven directly to the hotel in which their holiday starts, bringing the holiday feeling right to their front door.   

Examples include the Taste of the Cape Verde Islands cruise, which takes in breathtaking landscapes from West Africa to the Southern Mediterranean, including Casablanca, Lanzarote, Madeira, Dakar in Senegal and the Cape Verde Islands. It’s a chance to experience colourful African markets, fascinating islands and a diverse range of cultures by sea. This 22-day no-fly cruise starts from £1,995 per person.  

Alternatively, the 29-day Voyage to the Black Sea sets sail in early Autumn for some of the Mediterranean’s classic treasures, including Gibraltar, Palma, Malta, Crete, Athens, Istanbul and then on through the Bosphorus to Varna in Bulgaria, Odessa, Sevastapol and Yalta – the Pearl of the Crimea. This 29 day no-fly cruise starts from £2,995 per person.  

Leaving Dover in early September, the 8-day Fjordland Splendour explores Norway’s fjords and the chance to cruise along deep-water inlets of mirror-glass water, looking up at high-waterfalls, colourful villages and mountain peaks all from the comfort of cruise ship the Black Watch. Eight-day itineraries start from £995 per person. 

For more information, look up www.titantravel.co.uk and for more on ex-UK cruising, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK’s leading cruise-agent specialists.

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Crystal's 2012 Programme Now on Sale

Crystal Cruises’ exciting line up of 2012 worldwide itineraries is now on sale with free return flights available on ALL sailings. Plus, as of Spring 2012, all cruises on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will include FREE fine wines and premium spirits in all restaurants, open bar service in all lounges and pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff.

The complimentary gratuity amenity includes butler service and service in all of Crystal’s fine specialty restaurants and sushi bar.

In 2012, Crystal will offer 68 global itineraries onboard their award-winning duo, including:

A 94-night “Epic Islands and Empires” Pacific Rim World Cruise through Hawaii, the South Pacific, eastern and western Australia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Russia, Alaska, British Columbia and San Francisco, including a three-day inclusive overland adventure in Beijing; a maiden call in Newcastle, Australia; and a return to South Korea for the first time since 1994.

Christmas/New Year cruises in Australia/New Zealand; an expanded collection of Mediterranean itineraries, including late Autumn options; and more Baltic and Northern European cruises; more seven-night cruises in the Mediterranean and New England/Canada, as well as a seven-night voyage during Thanksgiving through the Mexican Riviera; and transatlantic cruises from New York to Dover and Miami to Lisbon, which can be combined with European cruises.

There will also be more overnight stays in destinations including Ashdod, Reykjavik, Odessa, Honfleur, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Istanbul, Venice, Sorrento and Bordeaux as well as destinations throughout Asia, Australia and South America.

2012 prices start from just £2,336 per person based on a seven-night cruise from Barcelona to Rome departing 8th April. Price includes free return flights from the UK, transfers, seven nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window on an all-inclusive basis to include all meals, drinks and gratuities plus port taxes.

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

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Crystal Expands World Jewish Culture Exploration

With increased participation in Jewish heritage tours, luxury cruise operator Crystal Cruises is expanding its related programming in 2011. Scheduled are over a dozen Crystal Adventures that explore Jewish life, past and present, around the world in or near Mumbai, Miami, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg, St Petersburg, Rome, Dublin, Jerusalem/Ashdod and Odessa.

Each tour gives an overview of a culture within a culture, while also providing intimate connection with spaces, exhibits, artefacts, traditions and people that bring the international Jewish narrative to life. Among the highlights:

· St Petersburg: Discover how this resilient Russian Jewish community survived Communist oppression, war and hardship to flourish today, as demonstrated through its people, community centres, musi, and an intimate home visit.

· Mumbai: Visit three synagogues ranging from Baghdadi to Bene-Israel congregations.

· Copenhagen: Learn how 99% of Denmark’s Jews survived the Holocaust at the Museum of Danish Resistance.

· Dublin: Take in the social, legal and political contributions of the Irish-Jewish community; see the first dedicated day school and home of Israeli ex-President Chaim Herzog.

· German Concentration Camps: Explore Neuengamme, which housed 100,000 prisoners outside Hamburg, and Berlin’s Sachsenhausen, which became the blueprint for all other camps.

· Rome: Walk through the 2,000-year-old Jewish Quarter of Rome.

While most 2012 excursions are still in development, Crystal is planning a Jewish heritage tour of Shanghai for its 2012 World Cruise.

For reservations, visit http://www.crystalcruises.co.uk/ or contact the UK's leading luxury cruises specialist of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Black Sea Circumnavigation

By guest blogger Steve Newman

In 2011, Zegrahm Expeditions will return to the Black Sea and offer one of the most comprehensive itineraries available to travellers. Their Circumnavigation of the Black Sea visits all six countries that rim this legendary sea - Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria - with the voyage characterised by striking landscapes, stunning historical monuments and the friendly people you meet along the way.

September 13-27, 2011 & September 25-October 9, 2011; aboard the deluxe 110-passenger Clipper Odyssey; a highlight of the journey is a private tour of the Odessa Opera House. Closed and under renovation for seven years, it is now open to the public and a truly grand experience once again.

That's just one of 15 extraordinary days spent exploring the Black Sea. In the company of cultural experts and historians, travellers wander through the ruins of Greco-Roman sites, exquisitely tiled Ottoman mosques, Byzantine basilicas and monasteries adorned in colourful mosaics and charming red-roofed villages laced with cobblestone lanes.

Throughout the journey, Zegrahm guests will also enjoy local dining traditions, discover vibrant bazaars and sample regional wines.

Learn more about the Circumnavigation of the Black Sea on http://www.zeco.com/ or contact the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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