Grab A Crystal Deal

Between now and February 28, savings of up to £1,629 per person are available on a selection of Crystal Cruises’ 2013 itineraries, with prices starting from just £1,918 per person for a seven-night all-inclusive luxury cruise in northern Europe. These savings are available on the following 12 cruises:

• April 21: 11-night cruise from Barcelona to Venice on Crystal Serenity visiting Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, Sorrento, Sicily and Trogir. All inclusive prices from £2,825 per person (saving up to £1,151).
• May 2: seven-night cruise from Venice to Rome on Crystal Serenity visiting Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Taormina and Sorrento. All inclusive prices from £2,128pp (saving up to £627 per person).
• May 9: nine-night cruise from Rome to Istanbul on Crystal Serenity visiting Sorrento, Taormina, Santorini, Kusadasi and Canakkale. All inclusive prices from £2,437pp (saving up to £1,029).
• May 23: 12-night cruise from New York to Reykjavik on Crystal Symphony visiting Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax and St John’s. All inclusive prices from £3,332pp, including one-night pre-cruise hotel stay in New York (saving up to £1,482).
• June 8: seven-night cruise from Dover to Copenhagen on Crystal Serenity visiting Zeebrugge, Amsterdam, Oslo and Helsingborg. All inclusive prices from £1,918pp (saving  up to £932 per person).
• June 24: 10-night cruise from Stockholm to Copenhagen on Crystal Serenity visiting Tallinn, St Petersburg (2 nights), Helsinki and Berlin. All inclusive prices from £2,893pp (saving up to £1,629).
• July 6: seven-night cruise from Istanbul to Rome on Crystal Symphony visiting Kusadasi, Mykonos, Sicily and Sorrento. All inclusive prices from £2,050pp (saving up to £923).
• July 20: 10-night cruise from Stockholm to Copenhagen on Crystal Serenity visiting Tallinn, St Petersburg (2 nights), Helsinki and Berlin. All inclusive prices from £2,890pp (saving up to £1,629). 
• July 25: nine-night cruise from Istanbul to Rome on Crystal Symphony visiting Canakkale, Kusadasi, Valletta, Sicily and Sorrento. All inclusive prices from £2,680pp (saving up to £1,015).
• July 30: 10-night cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm on Crystal Serenity visiting Berlin, Helsinki, St Petersburg (2 nights) and Tallinn. All inclusive prices from £2,890pp (saving up to £1,629).

Included in the cost of the cruise are return scheduled flights, overseas transfers and accommodation in a deluxe stateroom with picture window with all meals and soft drinks, selected alcoholic beverages, port taxes and gratuities.

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

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From Russia With Love - With Royal Caribbean

Head to some of Northern Europe’s most historical ports on Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas (above) this summer, where a 12-night Scandinavia & Russia cruise-only costs from just £1,296.00 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

This price includes a 12-night cruise-only departing Harwich and calling at Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Gothenburg before returning to Harwich; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on May 30 departure.

For more information, visit http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/ or contact specialist cruise agents 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.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Happy Cruise New Year!

We all look forward to a New Year in one way or another but 2010 promises to be better than most, and not just because the financial and economic scene shows signs of getting back on a healthier, even keel.

As I have already written, there is an amazing variety of new ships to anticipate, with several that should be genuinely ground-breaking (notably Oceania's Marina and NCL's Norwegian Epic).

There should also be plenty of good deals to be had, too, as cruise lines look to tempt people back to sea-going holidays after the recession-hit days of 2008/09 (so be sure to check with our sister company The Cruise Line Ltd for all the best offers - and look early and often in January as many lines are already flagging up their New Year 'Sails'!).

There is also more focus than ever before on attracting first-time cruisers to this holiday style, with companies big (like Royal Caribbean, NCL and P&O) and small (the likes of Compagnie du Ponant, Pandaw Cruises and Hurtigruten) putting out some tempting campaigns to lure newcomers.

In fact, the appeal of the small, deluxe, niche operators like Ponant and Pandaw should be uppermost in the minds of those looking for that 'something new' factor in 2010.

One I am especially looking forward to investigating for the terrific feedback they have already generated in a relatively short time is Chilean specialist Nomads of the Seas and their unique ship the Atmosphere (pictured above).

The appeal of touring the majestic Chilean fjords in the company of this ship's purpose-built style is immensely appealing and should be one of the highlights of the year for us at World of Cruising, so stay tuned for our report in due course.

I would especially recommend taking a look at their website, http://www.nomadsoftheseas.com/, for those who really want to get off the beaten cruise track, enjoy some of the world's most spectacular scenery and wildlife, sample the tastes and culture of a truly unique region and do it all in some of the highest quality possible in the 'soft' adventure-cruising category.

Can you tell I'm looking forward to 2010?!

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.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.