Crystal Cruises celebrates 25th anniversary milestone with parties and special guests

Crystal Cruises announces a celebratory twist for its Experiences of Discovery theme cruises for 2015, when the line will mark its 25^th anniversary of cruising. During six designated sailings – in addition to more than a dozen themed cruises focused on culinary, musical, theatrical, political and athletic pursuits – Crystal guests will be treated to commemorative parties and receptions, where they will rub shoulders with Crystal’s top brass. 

Of these, four voyages will be Crystal’s first-ever “Captain’s Cruises”, where former captains will rejoin Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity to regale travellers with their memories. The four cruises, and hosts, include:

• 11 April, Asia (Hong Kong to Tokyo) with Captain Reidulf Maalen, the captain of Crystal’s first ship, Crystal Harmony, when the company began sailing in 1990
• 4 May, Southern Trans-Atlantic (Miami to Lisbon) with Captain Glenn Edvardsen, a 21-year Crystal veteran and the youngest Crystal captain when he joined the line in 1999.
• 12 June, Northern Trans-Atlantic (New York to Dover) with Captain Helge Brudvik, captain of Crystal Symphony in its inaugural year, retired from Crystal since 2000.
• 19  December, Caribbean/Brazilian Holiday (San Juan to Rio de Janeiro) with Captain John Økland, who retired in 2012 after 15 years with Crystal.

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‘Enjoy the Best of the Far East’ with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in 2015

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched a new brochure, ‘Enjoy the Best of the Far East’, offering a range of exotic fly-cruises to this most beautiful and beguiling part of the world, with prices starting from as little as £49 per person per night, departing between January and April 2015. Solo travellers can also benefit from no single supplements on selected cabins (subject to availability).

Fred. Olsen’s unique ‘Enjoyment Promise’ is also applicable on all sailings featured in the new brochure, when booked at least 14 weeks in advance.

There are an extensive range of cruise holidays on offer, from 15 to 34 nights’ duration, to destinations including Kuala Lumpur, Jeju City, Komodo Island, Tokyo and Dubai.

The Company is also offering guests the chance to extend their holiday with pre- and post-cruise stays. These two or three night packages, in destinations including Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo, mean that guests can choose to stay in an hotel and, if they wish, take escorted, specially-arranged shore excursions to discover the destination in greater depth. 

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New Asian Adventures For Crystal

Those looking for the truly exotic shore excursions, would be well advised to pay attention to the latest range of possibilities from Crystal Cruises, who have just announced a new series of Crystal Adventures for their Asian voyages this year.

From drinks with former headhunters in Brunei to a monk induction ceremony in Myanmar, the ultra-luxury line has crafted an exciting schedule of excursions in this wonderful part of the world. Monasteries, rainforests, royal residences and tuk-tuks are among the 40 new shoreside outings showcasing both off-the-beaten-path port calls and major urban centres in Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan and India. 

Both Crystal Symphony and the recently-redesigned Crystal Serenity will be sailing 14 voyages in the region – twice as many as 2013 – this spring, with Symphony returning in late autumn. In all, Crystal is offering nearly 200 Adventures throughout Asia, with options to book them with Private Car and Driver in most ports.

 

Excursion highlights include:

• Bandar Seri Begawan: Be astounded by Brunei’s varied lifestyles, from the Sultan’s Palace - the world’s largest residential palace (above) - to more traditional homes, such as that of an over-water village and a longhouse, where former headhunting Ibans will welcome you with drinks, music and dance.
• Yangon: Witness the Novitiation Ceremony that inducts 1,000 male “Novices” into Buddhist monk-hood at the Kalaywa Monastery.
• Kota Kinabalu: Trek the rainforest of Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kinabalu National Park; crab fish from a thatch-roofed raft while cruising through mangroves; or learn island traditions such as making robes from tree bark or a Malay bread called roti canai. 
• Lombok: At Bali’s less-visited sister island, learn about the local craftsmanship of ikat dyed fabrics and pearl production or visit a traditional Sasak village, where men still sleep outside their thatched houses to protect their daughters from being kidnapped into marriage. 
• Makassar: Travel to a 17^th-century king’s traditional adat house for food and dance from local villagers, visit the Dutch East India Company’s Fort Rotterdam or sightsee via pedicab. 
• Andaman Islands: Tuk-tuk to Britain’s former jail for Indian revolutionaries or learn about local agricultural arts at a spice farm and rubber plantation. 
• Penang: Stroll the 130-year-old Waterfall Gardens, then enjoy a cocktail at the prestigious Eastern & Oriental Hotel, the precursor to Singapore’s famed Raffles Hotel. 
• Tokyo: Participate in eastern Asian shodo handwriting and a traditional sado tea ceremony at a Japanese garden or tour sites of more recent history, such as Nissan’s Global HQ and the Cup Noodles Museum.

 

In addition to the day trips, two new multi-night Overland Adventures are offered from Shanghai and Chan May, visiting Xi-an and Beijing on the first and Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City on the latter.

 

In 2014, five- to 15-night all-inclusive voyages are available to/from Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki and Shanghai starting from £1,836 per person, cruise only, if booked by February 28.  

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

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.

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Crystal Cruises Unveils 2014/15 Programme

Luxury line Crystal Cruises has unveiled its full year of worldwide voyages for 2014, plus itineraries up to mid-April 2015 - all of which are now open for booking. 

New seven to 89-night cruises in 2014 are among the 61 sailings on board Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, with 16 maiden calls, 194 total ports and 68 countries – including a glamorous World Cruise. 

Early 2015’s global calendar offers 15 exotic cruises and a 20^th World Cruise, as well as nine maiden calls and a return to ports Crystal hasn’t visited in more than a decade.

2014 Highlights include:

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are featured on 54 out of 61 cruises (or 89% of 2014’s itineraries), visiting 135-plus dedicated historical destinations, from the ancient - Istanbul, Dubrovnik and Tallinn - to the intriguing, Casablanca, Cartagena and Takoradi. 

World Cruise: 89-night, January to April, five-segment Los Angeles-Southampton cruise, with Crystal’s first return to West Africa since 2011. 

Fully 34% of cruises are 10 nights or less. 

New ports include Galway, Ireland; Luanda, Angola; Lombok, Indonesia; Ibiza, Spain; Oban, Scotland; Skagen, Denmark; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. 

Returns to places less-frequented by Crystal include the Andaman Islands; Brunei; Ghana; Helsingborg, Sweden; Ko Samui, Thailand; Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Korcula, Croatia. 

Nearly every itinerary features at least one overnight stay in renowned cities, often in the city of embarkation, plus two consecutive overnights in many places such as Yangon, Shanghai, Hong Kong, St Petersburg and Ho Chi Minh City.

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

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Azamara's 2014 Overnight Bonanza

Offering more late-night and overnight stays in port, Azamara Club Cruises has announced the 2014 deployment of its twin boutique ships Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

The cruise line’s new 2014 programme enables guests to experience the nightlife of compelling destinations around the world that larger ships cannot reach, and includes a record 45 maiden port calls, such as the UNESCO World Geopark Langkawi, Malaysia; Maura in the Sultanate of Brunei; and the charming island-village Vila do Abraao, a favourite Brazilian getaway.

Guests can choose among 72 new voyages, ranging from four to 17 nights and visiting 240 destinations in 66 countries throughout Europe, the Far East, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the Western U.S. coast.

 

Most of Azamara's voyages are designed so travellers can combine two or more consecutive voyages for an extended travel experience and not repeat a port call. Some of the 2014 highlights include:

 

• Azamara Journey will sail 12 to 17-night voyages throughout the East and South China seas from January to April, alternating departures from Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai and Chennai. On these sailings, guests will visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Halong Bay, Borobudur, Parambanan and Sangiran, and enjoy the nightlife of Tokyo, Shanghai and Bangkok to name a few, during their overnight stays. The ship then repositions via the Indian Ocean and Suez Canal to arrive for its European season in May.
• Azamara Quest will offer a pair of trans-Panama Canal voyages between Miami and Costa Rica, plus a new series of Sea of Cortez and Central America sailings, ranging from 10 to 14-nights. Quest will also sail an 11-night voyage to less-trodden islands of the Caribbean, such as St. John’s, St. Barth’s and Virgin Gorda, before returning to Europe in April.
• In late November, Azamara Journey will depart from Spain’s Costa del Sol to beautiful Brazil via the Canary Islands. Guests can celebrate Christmas and the New Year as they sail from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, Azamara Quest will retrace the Spice Route to the Far East and ring in the New Year in Hong Kong.

Prices start from £1,073 for a four-night Monaco Grand Prix sailing on May 22 on Azamara Quest (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom), cruise only.

 

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

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Crystal Now On Offer To 2014

Adding to its previously-released early 2013 schedule, ultra-luxury Crystal Cruises has announced 63 more exciting itineraries, filling the rest of 2013, plus early 2014 - the cruise line’s earliest-ever advance schedule announcement.

In all, 269 ports are featured in 75 countries, with more than a dozen maiden calls and 146 local overnights, comprising the May 2013-May 2014 schedule, which will be open for booking later this autumn.

Take a look at these highlights:
· A 7-/12-/9-night Mediterranean route rotation, offering back-to-back combination possibilities with minimal repeat ports.

· 75 per cent of summer cruises lasting seven to ten nights, with more than half weekend departures.

· Two- to three-night stays in 53 different locations, including such stunners as Tokyo, Cape Town and Bali, with the majority of overnights on embarkation or debarkation days.

Crystal Symphony (above) will spend the summer throughout Northern Europe, followed by a North American autumn, returning to Antarctica for the festive season then traversing the South Pacific and New Zealand/Australia for seven Asian-centric voyages in early 2014.

Crystal Serenity will be in the Mediterranean from April to December, returning to North America for a Caribbean/Central America holiday before heading westward around the globe for 2014’s World Cruise.

For booking details, be sure to check with luxury cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

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Costa's New Japan itineraries

Costa Cruises is offering three new itineraries to popular Japanese destinations and will introduce new cities in 2012 after resuming its itineraries in the area this weekend.

Costa Classica (above) left Shanghai on August 26 for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka (Japan) and Cheju (South Korea) before returning to Shanghai.

This decision demonstrates Costa’s confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support of the revitalisation of the local tourism industry. As the first international cruise company to enter the Chinese market, Costa has been operating cruise itineraries from China to Japan for more than five years.

From August to October this year, Classica will operate a total of 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea, with the wide selection of itineraries including Japan's Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima. Four-day cruises visit Fukuoka and Cheju; a six-day cruise takes in Pusan (South Korea), Fukuoka and Kagoshima; and a five-day cruise visits to Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Cheju.

In 2012, Costa will further expand its operations in Asia and the Far East with the deployment for the first time of the Costa Victoria (75,200 gross tonnage and 2,394 total guests), which will replace Classica (53,000 tons and 1,680 guests). Victoria will also offer 246 veranda cabins and increase its offer in the area by about 40%.

New destinations in Japan include the tropical paradise of Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama, which boasts the largest hot spring resort; Osaka, Japan’s second largest city; the popular sightseeing cities in the Kanto Area; Yokohama and Tokyo, the capital city.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (www.jnto.go.jp), a joint statement from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization has reaffirmed that operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports.

For more info, visit www.costacruises.co.uk or, for bookings, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Costa Returns To Japan

Costa Cruises has announced it is resuming its Japan itineraries and introducing new destinations, following the terrible earthquake that hit the country earlier this year.

On August 26, Costa Classica will be leaving Shanghai for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka (Japan) and Cheju (South Korea) before returning to Shanghai.

This decision demonstrates Costa’s confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support of the revitalisation of the local tourism industry. As the first international cruise company to enter the Chinese market, Costa has been operating cruise itineraries from China to Japan for more than five years.

From August to October this year, Costa Classica - home-ported in Shanghai - will operate a total of 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea.

The wide selection of itineraries includes three Japanese destinations: Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima: four-day cruises to Fukuoka and Cheju (South Korea); a six-day cruise to Pusan (South Korea), Fukuoka and Kagoshima and a five-day cruise to Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Cheju (South Korea).

In 2012, Costa will further expand its operations in Asia and the Far East , with the deployment for the first time of the Costa Victoria (75,200 gross tonnage and 2,394 total guests), which will replace the Classica (53,000 gross tonnage and 1,680 total guests).

For the first time on these cruises, the Victoria will offer guests the chance to book 246 veranda cabins to enjoy the splendid scenery of the Far East, including Japan, from the privacy of their own cabins. Costa Cruises will increase its offer in the area by about 40%.

Victoria will also sail to an array of new destinations in Japan including the tropical paradise of Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama, which boasts the largest hot spring resort; Osaka, Japan’s second largest city; the popular sightseeing cities in the Kanto Area; Yokohama and Tokyo, the capital city.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (www.jnto.go.jp), a joint statement from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization has reaffirmed that operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports.

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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