Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has new adventure cruise itineraries for 2015

Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has seven new itineraries for 2015 on board the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer. With a fleet of Zodiacs and sea kayaks, the ship fosters up-close exploration.

All rates quoted below are per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin.

Azores to Morocco: Island Wonders and Fabled Shores, 10 days/8 nights. Departs March 27, 2015. Rates begin at £5,415.

Morocco, Spain and Portugal: Land of the Moors, 10 days/8 nights.  Departs 4 April 2015. Rates begin at £5,415.

Along the Viking Trail: Iceland to Greenland, 12 days/10 nights.  Departs 19 July  2015. Rates begin at £6,515. Book by 31 Dec 2014 to receive complimentary charter airfare (Kangerlussuaq to Ottawa--a £739 value). New bookings only, subject to availability.

Exploring Greenland & the Canadian High Arctic, 13 days/12 nights. Departs July 28; August 7, 2015. Rates begin at £7,944.

Coastal Treasures from the Panama Canal to Peru, 14 days/12 nights.  Departs 27 September 2015. Rates begin at £7955. Book by 31 Dec 2014 and receive complimentary round-trip airfare between Miami/Panama City and Lima/Miami. 

Patagonia, The Chilean Fjords and Argentina's Staten Island, 21 days/18 nights. Departs 21 October  2015. Rates begin at $18,880. 

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Adventure Cruising blog

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Opening of expanded Panama Canal is delayed until 2016

A bigger ditch: Work to construct three new locks at Gatun 

Construction delays have pushed back the opening date for the expanded Panama Canal and its new locks.

Completion of the £3.25 billion engineering project had been expected by December next year, but the Canal Authority has announced it will not open until 2016 – without specifying even an approximate date.

Construction of the locks, which will accommodate vessels about a third larger than the current maximum size, was delayed earlier this year by a dispute over costs with the European consortium carrying out the work.

A third shipment of 4,000-ton lock gates, built in Italy, was delivered to Panama earlier this week. The final shipment to complete the 16 total is expected in January.

Work on the new locks and associated channels, together with dredging and other operations to expand the canal, is almost 80 per cent complete.

The Canal, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, celebrated its 100^th anniversary in August. Read more about the history of the Panama Canal and follow a journey through it on board cruise ship Celebrity  Infinity, in the latest issue of World of Cruising.

Two of the new Panama Canal lock gates awaiting installation

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Grab A Spring Deal To The Americas With Princess

Here's the kind of special offer that will always grab our attention here at World of Cruising - Princess Cruises is offering discounted rates throughout March and April on Caribbean, US, Canada, Panama Canal and Mexico voyages, setting sail between May and November.

In addition, passengers will receive up to £300 off their flight or $500 onboard credit (per couple booked). The credit can be used to enhance the on-board experience with optional extras such as dining in one of the speciality restaurants, a treatment in the spa or a variety of drinks from the bar.

Prices per person for seven days start at just £499 for cruises to the Caribbean or Mexico, £529 to California and £599 to Alaska. In addition, an 11-night Panama Canal cruise is available from £1,049, as the engineering marvel this year marks its 100^th anniversary.

This offer has been made available in response to increasing demand for these destinations. The Caribbean and Panama Canal in particular have experienced excellent growth so far this year compared to early 2013.    

More info: visit www.princess.com or call 0843 373 0333.

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Star Clippers Feature Panama Canal Transit

We have already noted this year is the 100th anniversary of the great Panama Canal, and various cruise lines are featuring special opportunities to enjoy a Canal transit to honour the occasion.

The latest comes from tall-ship sailing specialist Star Clippers, who are offering two opportunities to sail through what’s been designated one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Both sailings will be on the four-masted Star Flyer (above) as part of either a 14-day or a nine-day Caribbean cruise, in November.

The two Panama Canal voyages are as follows:

• Star Flyer sails from Barbados to Balboa on November 9, calling at the Grenadines, Grenada, Venezuela, Curacao, Bonaire, Aruba, Cartagena and the San Blas archipelago, before entering the Canal as far as San Cristobal. The cruises costs from £2,795 for 14 nights, including full board on the ship and port taxes. Flights are extra.
• Star Flyer then returns to her winter cruising base of Cienfuegos, Cuba, departing Balboa on November 23, sailing into the Canal and then calling at ports in Colombia and the Cayman Islands as well as Casilda in Cuba (for the historic city of Trinidad). This voyage costs from £1,765 for nine nights, including full board on the ship and port taxes. Again, flights are extra.

More info: call 0808 231 4798 or visit www.starclippers.co.uk.

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Princess Are Big In Japan

Princess Cruises has identified Japan as one of cruising's big new hot-spots after one of its busiest ever Januarys. With this time of year typically being 'Wave Season' and a huge period for cruise bookings, Princess is reporting triple digit growth on its routes in and around the Far East island.

Bookings were evenly split between passengers opting for a round tour of Japan and those preferring to take in the likes of Tokyo and Nagasaki as well as neighbouring countries, including Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Elsewhere, the Panama Canal - which celebrates its 100th anniversary in August 2014 - has also proved popular, with booking numbers more than doubling. The Caribbean, a traditional cruise favourite, similarly fared well, with a sharp increase in passenger numbers.

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises Managing Director for UK and Europe, explained: "January is hugely significant for the cruise industry as it's our busiest time of the year for bookings. As a result, this demand is enormously encouraging and testament to Princess' wide range of global destinations and welcoming service.

"I'm pleased to see Japan is proving so popular as it's an incredible part of the world that's now more easily within reach of the UK. The prospect of exploring its culture, cuisine, art and history, all from the comfort of our ships, is an increasingly sought-after combination."

Japan cruises are available from £665 per person (cruise only).

More info: call 0843 373 0333 or visit www.princess.com.

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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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Crystal Offer Free Regional Flights

Crystal Cruises is making ultra-luxury cruising even more affordable with the offer of complimentary regional flights from selected airports on all of its 2014 European voyages when booked by February 28. 

These free regional flights are available from Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle with the purchase of Crystal’s regular fly/cruise package. These flights are in addition to the flights from London that are included in all European fly/cruise packages. 

About Crystal Cruises: In 2014, the 922-guest, 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony and the freshly re-firbished 1,070-guest, 68,870-ton Crystal Serenity (above) cruise through the Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, South America, Antarctica, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Black Sea, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, British Isles, Baltic Sea, Arctic Circle and New England/Canada. 

More info: call 020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk. 

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The Andes & Caribbean With Swan Hellenic

               

Destination specialists Swan Hellenic are offering a fabulous chance to explore the Caribbean AND the Andean mountains in one extended voyage in the New Year.

Swan's "Discover the Wonders of the Andes & Atacama" 25-day cruise departs on January 5, taking passengers through the Caribbean and along the Panama Canal to explore the highlights of Ecuador, Peru and Chile. 

Along the way, guests will get to admire the best Pre Columbian and Incan gold and pottery artefacts in Lima’s fine museums; discover the Santa Catalina Convent in the Peruvian ‘White City’ of Arequipa; and savour the fine wines of Chile’s Casablanca Valley. New Saver Fares start from £3,685 per person for an inside cabin and £4,735 for an outside cabin. With limited availability, early booker can now take advantage of fantastic savings of up to £1,015 per person.

Alternatively, the "Caribbean to the Canaries" journey is a 17-day cruise departing on March 29. Passengers will be able to step back in time to explore an historic Plantation House in Barbados; admire the natural beauty of the towering Pitons on the lush, volcanic island of St Lucia; and explore the undiscovered Iles des Saintes. The final port of call on this fascinating itinerary is the volcanic island of Tenerife, where the lava fields of Mount Teide await discovery. As part of an Autumn Sale, prices for this cruise start from £1,734 per person for an inside cabin and £2,256 for an outside cabin if booked by November 11.

Prices for both cruises include return flights to/from the UK, gratuities onboard and ashore, all relevant overseas transfers, meals, a comprehensive series of Guest Speaker talks and selected shore excursions. 

 

More info: visit www.swanhellenic.com or call 0844 488 1048.

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Zegrahm's Grand Rainforests & Reefs Expedition

Adventure-cruise specialists Zegrahm Expeditions have unveiled their grand 15-day Rain Forests & Reefs expedition, departing February 7. At the crossroads of two continents, this expedition reveals the wonders of five countries, including Belize, Honduras, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama and is ideally timed during the centennial year of the Panama Canal.

A particular highlight in Panama will be the opportunity for travellers to not only complete a daylight transit of the Panama Canal, but also be treated to a VIP tour of the $5billion Canal expansion project that began a decade ago and is scheduled to be completed in 2015. Travellers will go behind the scenes at the Expansion Observation Center near the Gatun Locks on the Caribbean Sea and see the four billion cubic meters of structural concrete that is being poured into the ditches that comprise the new set of locks from a vantage point rarely visited by the public, plus they will have the opportunity to meet with one of the authorities currently working on the project.

Additional highlights of Zegrahm’s time in Central America include searching for Central America’s incredible diversity of wildlife during Zodiac cruises and nature walks—over 750 species of birds have been recorded in Costa Rica alone; meeting the Kuna Indians of San Blas and the Emberá Indians of the Darién who proudly preserve their cultural heritage; experiencing world-class snorkeling from Belize’s Half Moon Caye to one of the world’s largest marine parks in Coiba, Panama; and stepping ashore on seldom-visited Isla de Providencia, Colombia, where its long history includes tales of colonisation, conquest, and buried treasure.

This expedition is aboard the all-suite, 100-guest Island Sky and is priced from $11,980 per person. 

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

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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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Summer Edition Now Here!

Our feature-packed Summer issue is now back from the printer's and going to distribution, so our subscribers can afford to sit back and await the arrival of the latest edition of Europe's leading cruise publication.

Providing our Cover Story this summer is a look at the majestic Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam as Lauren Price takes a memorable journey with AMA Waterways.

From there, we go cruising in the luxury style of Regent Seven Seas as Gary Buchanan provides a look inside their Seven Seas Mariner. For more deluxe sailing, we also have the Zodiac Approach from Steve Newman, looking at how the upmarket adventure-cruise lines provide their up-close encounters.

Next there are destination features of Iceland - a cruise spot that is capturing a lot of attention - and Mauritius, while we also head for the Panama Canal, with an in-depth look at a typical round-trip voyage to this amazing engineering feat in Central America.

For our usual ship features, we take readers on board the new MSC Preziosa of MSC Cruises and the classic traditional liner Saga Ruby in her farewell season for Saga Cruises.There is also a special feature by Carol Wright on how the different lines look after passengers both Pre- and Post-Cruise, with some great tips for maximising your cruise enjoyment.

Of course, there is our essential World of Spas section, which in this issue takes a look at the fabulous Canyon Ranch Spa Club aboard the Queen Mary 2 of Cunard Line, as well as the latest news from spas worldwide.

And our regular columnists have plenty of say, with Captain Greybeard offering thoughts on Azamara Club Cruises; Cruise Radio looking at the new Norwegian Breakaway; Stewart Chiron, aka The Cruise Guy, examining issues involved with staying connected at sea; and The Admiral getting wistful about travel in a bygone age.

Then there are our usual contributions from our readers on the Letters page, and our unequalled News pages, with stories on all the latest cruise launches from the likes of Viking River Cruises, CroisiEurope, Princess Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd, as well as forthcoming new lines Viking Ocean Cruises and Pearl Seas Cruises.

As ever, it all adds up to the best read on the high seas, for a bargain price and with the best style. And, if you haven't subscribed yet (what's keeping you!), just follow this link.

Happy cruising now...!

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Great Summer Offers From Oceania

Oceania Cruises are featuring some superb new cruise bargains this summer, including the Panama Canal as well as the Baltic and the Mediterranean.

Choose from:

Aug & Sept: Baltic cruises with free gratuities, from £1,332pp
Receive free gratuities and a $200 onboard credit per stateroom when booking the 10-night `Baltic Odyssey’ cruise from Stockholm to Copenhagen on August 24. On mid-sized luxury  ship Marina, prices offer a massive saving of £1,753pp. The $200 credit is also offered on the September 3 sailing in reverse from Copenhagen to Stockholm, with prices from £1,319pp.

July 13: 12-night cruise, Venice to Istanbul, £1,819pp

This ‘Paths of the Byzantines’ sailing from Venice to Istanbul on board 1,250-guest Riviera calls into Slovenia, Croatia, the Greek Islands and mainland Turkey. The price was was £4,004 and also includes a $200 onboard credit per stateroom.

August 6: 10-night Mediterranean cruise, now £1,319pp
Take the family on an educational cruise during the school summer holidays, spending three full days (2 nights) in Haifa, and an itinerary that starts in Athens and also visits Crete, Limassol, Rhodes, Kusadasi (Ephesus) and Istanbul, for a final day in the city. The ‘Sacred Sanctuaries’ voyage on Riviera was £3,040 and represents a saving of £1721pp, as well as including a $300 per stateroom onboard credit.

August 22: 21-night Ultimate Panama Canal, £3,039pp
Oceania's magnificent 21-night sailing from San Francisco to New York visiting Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, through the Panama Canal, the Caribbean and on to New York now has a £1,724pp saving off the lead-in fare of £3,039pp, plus $300 onboard credit per stateroom and free internet throughout the sailing.

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

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SeaDream Set For First Costa Rica Season

We're excited to see this new programme from SeaDream Yacht Club in 2013/14, their first voyages around Costa Rica, including several Panama Canal transits. Here's what they say:

This autumn sees the launch of SeaDream's Costa Rica programme, with SeaDream I’s first-ever sailing across the “top” of South America, its first visit to Gatun Lake and first visits to Nicaragua, Costa Rica itself and inaugural sailings through the great Panama Canal. Typical SeaDream I voyages in November and December, such as a 7-night Caldera round-trip “Costa Rica & Panama Discovery” sailing on November 30, start from £2,417 per person, including government fees, handling and port tax.

Costa Rica conjures up images of surfers, hikers, coconut palms and tranquil eco-spas. It is fitting that locals use the phrase "Pura Vida" as both a greeting and a lifestyle philosophy. Pura Vida means 'Pure life', and, for Costa Ricans, it expresses their sense of community, perseverance and resilience, while enjoying life slowly and celebrating good fortune.

For such a small country, it has a big plant and animal population. SeaDream guests may visit Tortuguero National Park, located on the Northern Caribbean side; referred to as the "little Amazon". It is one of the most important places in the world for the protection of the green turtle and home of other fascinating species such as the Gaspar fish, which is considered a living fossil. Majestic birds are abundant, such as the Great Blue Heron and the Northern Jacana.

Costa Rica native and naturalist Christopher Chaves will be aboard as the expert guide. He will lead a variety of nature-based activities and lecture on subjects, including Costa Rica's history, culture, ecology and diversity of its birds, mammals, reptiles, tropical plants and more.

In keeping with the Pura Vida philosophy, SeaDream's Spa has customised each voyage with special emphasis on health and well-being. SeaDreamers can enjoy:

• Complimentary Daily Sunrise Yoga and Daily Afternoon Tai-Chi on deck (or the beach when possible). 
• SeaDream's delicious Raw Food menu, available for breakfast, lunch & dinner. All ingredients are raw, organic and vegan (no fish, meat, eggs or dairy), and nothing is heated above 118°F in order to retain all the healthy micro nutrients.
• Freshly-juiced vegetables and fruits at each meal. Ingredients like ginger root are said to have a variety of medicinal properties, or try Cucumber Juice and Wheatgrass for a detox breakfast.
• A complimentary mountain bike ashore for exploration or the chance to join the crew-led hikes.
• Staying hydrated with assorted, homemade chilled fruit teas throughout the day.
• Workouts in SeaDream's complimentary fitness centre, featuring an expansive ocean view.
• And the ship's many water toys, including complimentary kayaks and SUPs.

It all comes with the inimitable SeaDream style and six-star service ethic, along with the truly personal experience that only small-ship cruising can provide. 

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

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New Offers From Oceania

Oceania Cruises have some tempting special deals going this year, and the latest have just arrived in our Inbox, which we think make for five highly promising (and price-conscious) choices.

April 20, Panama Canal Voyage, saving £1,692
A spectacular and memorable Panama Canal transit is included during a 19-night sailing on board Oceania's 'Footsteps of Balboa’ sailing from Miami, through the Canal, along the west coast of South America and up to to San Franciscol. The sailing includes a $500 onboard credit per stateroom and a big saving  - was £4,231pp, now £2,539.

April 29, The Holy Land, saving £2,344
Cruise from Dubai, through the Middle East to Egypt, Jordan and on through the Suez Canal to Haifa, Greece and Italy, to disembark 21 nights later in Rome. Oceania's 'Temples and the Holy Land’ sailing has been reduced from £5,073pp to £2,729, plus a $300 onboard credit.

May 5, 10-night Mediterranean cruise, saving £1,419
This grand Med voyage has a $300/stateroom onboard credit and a big saving on the newest ship in the fleet, 1,250 guest Riviera. The ship will cruise from Venice down the west coast of Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Greece, calling into Santorini and Kusadasi, before cruising the Aegean back to Athens. The sailing now costs £1,319pp (was £2,738).

June 28, 7-night Alaska cruise, saving £731pp
Oceania is offering a $500 onboard credit per stateroom with all Alaska cruises this summer on the 650-guest Regatta. Departing on June 28, the company also has a saving off its 'Coastal Alaska’ cruise, taking in the region’s most spectacular fjords and glaciers, including through the Inside Passage from Seattle. The price is now £1,569pp (was £2,300).

July 13, Venice to Istanbul, saving £2,058
How about a saving of £2,058 off this 12-night sailing from Venice to Istanbul, calling into Slovenia, Croatia, the Greek Islands and mainland and Turkey? The new price is £1,819pp, down from £3,877.

In all cases, the price includes return flights, all meals, no supplement for speciality dining restaurants and complimentary bottled water and soft drinks.

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

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Oceania's Free Internet Lure

Oceania Cruises is offering guests unlimited free internet access on 10 sailings on  the line's mid-sized luxury cruise ships this year. The company has a fully staffed internet centre, Oceania@Sea, with wireless internet access for guests to use their own laptops, or the PC workstations, while all guests in Suites and Concierge Veranda staterooms also have the use of an iPad throughout the voyage and exclusive use of PCs in the Executive Lounges.

Free internet is being offered on four sailings on board the newest ship in the fleet, the 1,250-guest Riviera, and four on sister ship, Marina, as well as a Mediterranean cruise on board the 684-guest Nautica and a Panama Canal transit on her sister ship Regatta. The company is also offering a $300 onboard credit per stateroom on these sailings, to spend in the bars, restaurants, spa and boutiques.

Example cruises with free internet include the September 29 `Romance and Rivieras’ sailing on Riviera from Lisbon to Monaco, calling into nine ports along the southern Mediterranean coasts of Spain, France and Italy, between Lisbon and Rome, before disembarkation in Monaco. The cruise costs from £1,489pp, including return flights, all meals, no supplement for speciality dining, complimentary soft drinks and bottled water, free internet use and a $300 US onboard credit per stateroom.

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

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Panama Canal Cruise - Final Day

Concluding the live blog of our day-by-day Panama Canal cruise, sailing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale with Princess Cruises.

At Sea

We have come to the 10th and last day of our grand voyage, and will be extremely reluctant to disembark back in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. It has been one of our most memorable cruises of recent years and we have loved the more laid-back but elegant style of the Coral Princess.

Obviously having five full sea days (with one extra from missing the Grand Cayman call) has helped to put this voyage firmly in the chill-out zone, but the ship's huge capacity to provide a great variety of relaxation areas is also notable. Put simply, if you want a slightly more old-fashioned, get-away-from-it-all type of cruise, this could well be for you.

While the Coral does have the obvious glitzy, modern amenities like the Casino, shopping district, full theatre, Movies Under The Stars, full-scale Spa and variety of alternative dining outlets, there is definitely something rather traditional and refined about her overall ambience, and it is immensely enjoyable, almost as if she is one of the 'secret gems' of the Princess fleet - not obvious, but very rewarding for those who enjoy a slower pace.

Given another full day to enjoy everything aboard, we have to decide this morning between the usual array of daytime activities - including a Spa seminar on 'secrets to a flatter stomach,' Morning trivia, a bridge lecture, an Outlet Sale in all the shops, Snowball Jackpot Bingo and a Culinary Demonstration & Galley Tour - or to give The Sanctuary a try, and move into total chill-out mode.

The Sanctuary wins, and we find only a handful of fellow passengers enjoying the expansive confines of the two aft decks, where full loungers, chairs and tables are set out both in the sun and shade, and the small Aft Pool is available for a cooling dip.

With 'Serenity Stewards' to provide chilled drinks (cucumber and orange water, iced tea), or hot tea and coffee, and an overall atmosphere of pure relaxation, we are happy to spend a few hours here (it is $10 per person for a half-day, or $20 all day) and then head for the Bayou Cafe for one of the signature Pub Lunches, which goes down extremely well (the likes of Fish & Chips, Steak & Kidney Pie, a Ploughman's Lunch and Bangers & Mash, plus Jam Roly-Poly).

However, we are not back on our loungers in The Sanctuary for long before the Captain has a serious announcement to make - one of the passengers is in need of urgent medical treatment and a Coast Guard helicopter has been despatched to pick them up off the ship, a delicate maneuver that requires all passengers to be cleared from the open decks for safety reasons.

That effectively puts an end to our Sanctuary time, but we are obviously more mindful of the fact someone's life could be in danger, hence we - and all our fellow passengers - do not feel put out in any way, and we are all keeping our fingers crossed for a safe airlift and successful conclusion in hospital (presumably in Miami). 

Instead of more lounging, we opt for the afternoon movie in the Princess Theater, Silver Linings Playbook, another of the Oscar-nominated films which seem to have been omni-present on this cruise. After the failings of Argo and the truly atrocious Beasts of the Southern Wild, we are charmed by Silver Linings, which has a genuine, old-fashioned heart and plenty of high-quality acting (we have already seen Lincoln, which is also on today, and rate it by far the best of all the nominees we have watched. How it didn't get the Oscar for Best Picture will always astound us).

By the time we exit the theatre, it is time to head back to our stateroom and start the hateful business of packing ready to put our suitcases out for collection this evening. This is always the one real bugbear of a cruise as it isn't something that can be done at the last minute and you have to plan around your apparel for the final evening and next morning.

We have a 7pm dinner reservation back at the Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse, where we completely fell in love with the place on our first night aboard. With Manager Vicente and our favourite waiter, Yordan, we are extremely happy to enjoy the fine fare here and the gentle jazz of the Argo Trio.

The final evening's entertainment is a mixed bag of the Farewell Variety Show, featuring the likes of stand-out vocalist Travis Turpin, comedian Steve Caouette and the ship's singers and dancers, the Princess Pop Star Final (not our cup of maritime tea) and the International Crew Show, which is usally a lot of fun.

Our final thoughts on the large-scale evening entertainment is that this probably isn't the ship's strongest suit. The guest performers are all well worthwhile, but the resident singers are only OK and the dancers sometimes lack the necessary snap and sizzle for this kind of thing. The musicians around the vessel vary from the highly proficient main band, to the great sounds of the Argo Trio, and the more mundance dance bands and pianist (although classical pianist Antoni Wcislo always sounds smooth and listenable).

We do manage to sign off in style, though, by taking part in the Multimedia Disney Trivia contest in the Explorers Lounge. My wife is a distinct Disney expert and, by joining forces with another couple, we find ourselves trivia champions for the second time in a few days and have a bottle of champagne to share for our troubles!

It is a fitting sign-off to a wonderful cruise, and one we would heartily recommend for those who like a slower-paced voyage, with fewer children around and a more 'grown-up' overall vibe. The itinerary is definitely more for those who like history and culture (and some wildlife), and not so much for those who want lots of beaches and shopping (stick to the northern and eastern Caribbean for that).

The Panama Canal was the undoubted highlight, even with only a partial transit, and the immensity, complexity and smooth-functioning of the Gatun Locks will stay long in our minds. But both Cartagena and Limon were definite hits with us, too.

Our vessel will also have to be one of the stars of the show, though, as she proved an admirable travelling vehicle for the 10 days and one we would be very happy to cruise on at any stage in future. The forthcoming new Royal Princess may be making all the headlines right now, but the Coral is definitely no slouch and, what she may lack in glitz, she certainly makes up for in elegant sophistication.

So, that was our full Princess Cruises experience, sailing round-trip from Port Everglades and returning to only a slight delay through immigration on our disembarkation (it was a Sunday, after all). We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about the ship - and a full review will feature in the Summer edition of World of Cruising!

For more info and bookings – in the UK, call Princess Cruises on 0843 373 0333 or visit the expert cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link; in the US, call 1866 335 6379, or visit www.princess.com.

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