Oceania Cruises offers up to $1000 onboard credit

By guest blogger Steve Newman

For selected departures between April and July 2011 on three of its upper premium luxury ships, Oceania Cruises is offering $1,000 of onboard credit per booking. Included among the offer sailings are:-

23rd April: Wonders of the Ancients – 14-night cruise on Insignia (above), embarking in Civitavecchia (Rome) and cruising to Sorrento, Taormina, Zakynthos, Alexandria, Cairo, Haifa, Jerusalem, Limassol, Tartous, Alanya, Ephesus and Athens. The price of £2,571 per guest is based on 2 sharing and includes all meals, complimentary soft drinks and bottled water, as well as the $1,000 credit per stateroom (excludes flights).

27th May: Gems of Europe – this 15-night voyage on Insignia now comes with a $1,000 onboard credit per stateroom and is priced from £2,690 per guest, including all meals, complimentary soft drinks and bottled water (excluding fights). The cruise sails from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Marseille, taking in Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, Lisbon, Oporto, La Coruna, Bilbao, Bordeaux and Lorient before completing the voyage in Greenwich.

Other sailings with the enticing $1,000 onboard credit include in Alaska on Regatta and winter 2011/12 voyages on Nautica.

To find out more, visit http://www.oceaniacruises.co.uk/ or check with the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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A Jewel For Alaska

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced it will position Norwegian Jewel in Alaska for the first time in 2012/13. Jewel will replace Norwegian Star, which will offer sailings to Bermuda from her new home port of New York.

Jewel will cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary. The weekly Sawyer Glacier cruises will depart from May 26-September 8, 2012, and will call at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

Families onboard can enjoy Jewel’s Nickelodeon at Sea entertainment, offering live Nickelodeon-themed interactive shows, Nick Live! Poolside entertainment; character breakfasts and meet and greets and Nick-themed dance parties.

NCL will sail two ships to Bermuda weekly from April until October calling at King’s Wharf. Star will sail from New York on Sundays, staying for three full days, and Dawn will sail her Bermuda itinerary departing on Fridays from Boston, also with three days at the island.

Kevin Sheehan, NCL's chief executive officer, insists: “The 2012/2013 season is filled with new and exciting Freestyle Cruising choices. Whether it’s our ships cruising different destinations, disembarking from new homeports or sailing new itineraries, we offer the most freedom and flexibility when it comes to cruise travel. We are pleased to bring Norwegian Jewel to Alaska and Star to Bermuda, along with continuing our popular Hawaii inter-island cruises and short cruises to the Bahamas through early 2013.”

Additional itinerary announcements for 2012/13:

Norwegian Jewel will sail a seven-day Sawyer Glacier cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 19, 2012, and a seven-day Sawyer Glacier from Seattle to Vancouver on September 15.

Norwegian Pearl (above) will return to Seattle sailing her weekly seven-day Glacier Bay cruises departing on Sundays from May 13 to September 9, 2012, calling at, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria.

Norwegian Pearl will also sail a seven-day Glacier Bay cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 6, 2012, and a Seattle-to-Vancouver cruise on September 16.

Pride of America will continue as the only US-flagged vessel sailing among all four of Hawaii’s main islands. Her seven-day cruises from Honolulu are available now until April 7, 2013. Ports of call include: an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; an evening sail by the Kilauea Volcano (weather permitting); Kona, Hawaii; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kauai; and an afternoon cruise of the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.

Norwegian Sky will continue sailing three and four-day cruises to the Bahamas year-round from Miami until April 15, 2013. The three-day Bahamas cruise departs on Fridays and includes stops in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. On Mondays, the ship departs on a four-day cruise with stops in Grand Bahama Island, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau.

For more information, call 0845 201 8900 or visit http://www.ncl.co.uk/, or check out the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Gala New Year Mini Cruise

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Depart from Newcastle on December 30 with DFDS and cruise to Amsterdam enjoying a scrumptious hot dinner buffet, free bar and live festive entertainment. In addition, you can have a flutter in the casino or keep the party going in the nightclub. When you eventually retire to your ensuite cabin, enjoy a good night's sleep and awake raring to go for a day in Amsterdam.

Wander the romantic tree-lined canals, enjoy a hot chocolate in a cosy cafe and soak up the atmosphere of this cosmopolitan city. After a day exploring, return to the ship in plenty of time to get ready for the New Year's Eve celebrations. Following a lavish Gala Buffet, dance the night away and welcome in the New Year with Champagne and Almond Cake - the perfect start to 2011!

What's Included:

- 2 nights onboard in a sea-view ensuite cabin
- Coach transfers to and from Amsterdam
- Optional complimentary sightseeing tour
- 2 x hot buffet breakfasts
- Gala New Year Buffet
- Free bar on both crossings (includes house wine, draft Grolsch lager, selected spirits and soft drinks)
Champagne and Almond cake at midnight
- Live onboard entertainment
- Departs Newcastle December 30

To book, visit www.dfds.co.uk/festive.

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Special offers for River Cruises

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Titan HiTours Elegant River Cruises has released a series of special offers across its award-winning river cruises for bookings made before January 31.

Examples include savings of up to £3,200 per couple on the 15-day ‘Imperial Capitals of Europe’ itinerary departing April 16, which now costs from £2,499 per person if booked by Jan 31.

Taking passengers on a European odyssey through seven countries from Istanbul to Vienna, the journey starts with three days in Istanbul before flying to Bucharest to join the River Princess at Giurgiu (Romania) for the beginning of its journey along the Danube. Highlights will include cruising through the Iron Gates, an 80-mile long stretch of scenic gorges, as well as city tours of Belgrade, Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna (above); wine tasting in the Villany Hills and a home-hosted lunch in the Croatian town of Osijek.

Savings of up to £2,000 per couple are also available on the 'Treasures of Prague - Rhine and Main' tour departing on April 17 and offers amazing value from £1,659 per person.

For further information, click on to Titan Hi Tours.

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Sub Antarctic Wildlife Adventure

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Here's a great option to voyage south - WAY south! - on the world’s youngest purpose-built expedition cruise ship, Orion, to the World Heritage listed Sub-Antarctic Islands and mainland Antarctica.

These expeditions particularly suit modern-day adventurers, those with an interest in polar exploration, nature lovers and keen wildlife and seascape photographers, as well as anyone with an adventurous spirit interested in visiting remote places of outstanding historic and ecologic importance.

Surrounded by the Southern Ocean, secluded and seldom visited, these Sub-Antarctic Islands have UNESCO World Heritage status, recognising one of our planet’s most important bio-diverse regions with their volcanic and glacial geological formations and extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna.

The remnants of the old whaling station on Macquarie Island, the high cliffs and numerous caves and arches formed by marine erosion on Campbell Island and the enormous sea stacks on the southern peninsulas of The Snares present dramatic contrast to the prolific bird life, penguins, fur and elephant seals, sea lions, killer whales and unique flora seen in this remote region.

This 13-night cruise departs Jan 15 and Dec 20, 2011, from Dunedin and visits Fiordland, Stewart Island, Snares Island, Auckland Island, Campbell Island and Macquarie Island before arriving in Hobart. Prices from £5,745 per person, including 13 nights onboard Orion, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

For more information on this and other sub-Antarctic expeditions, visit http://www.orionexpeditions.com/ or see the Adventure Cruise Collection of UK adventure crusie specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Carnival Day In Tenerife

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Fred. Olsen’s cruise ship Boudicca (above) will be in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, on Carnival Day next year – March 12, 2011. Guests on cruise D1103, departing from Southampton on March 6, will have a unique opportunity to experience all the colour and excitement of the Carnival – the biggest and most spectacular outside Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Tenerife’s Carnival dates back to the 1600s and is a spectacle not to be missed. It begins on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday and ends on Ash Wednesday, and activity on the island centres on the capital, Santa Cruz. The event is one long, spectacular party; there are colourful floats, a Carnival Queen and groups of entertainers: ‘murgas’, comedians; ‘comparsas’, dancers; and ‘rondallas’, singers. Everyone works for months in advance to create this stunning event, which now aspires to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The events open with a procession through the streets of Santa Cruz, with much music and dancing, and end with the ceremonial ‘El Entierro de la Sardina’ – or ‘Burying the Sardine’! Feast your eyes, and join in with the colourful activities of Carnival on this cruise.

The full itinerary is of 14 nights, departing and visits Leixoes (for Oporto) in Portugal, then Arrecife (Lanzarote), Santa Cruz (Tenerife) – where the carnival takes place – San Sebastian (La Gomera), Santa Cruz (La Palma), Funchal (Madeira), and Vigo (Spain), before returning to Southampton.

In addition to the music and colour of the Carnival, this cruise has a musical theme, as it is one of Fred, Olsen’s ‘Music and Laughter’ cruises, with the superb Abba tribute band, Abba Arrivals, performing live. It is also a Flagship Golf cruise, which means keen golfers can opt for an additional package, that combines golf ashore with professional tuition aboard, for an extra £375 per player.

Prices for this very special cruise start at £1,444 per person, based on two adults sharing an outside twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. Prices include all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

For more information, visit http://www.fredolsencruises.co.uk/ or call cruise agents The Cruise Line on 0800 008 6677.

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Adventure option for Alaska's Inside Passage

By guest blogger Steve Newman

InnerSea Discoveries, the newly launched sister brand to high-end American Safari Cruises, will begin plying Alaska's waters in May 2011. Week-long adventures between Ketchikan and Juneau and two-week itineraries between Seattle and Juneau will be offered aboard two newly refurbished ships holding just 49 guests for a more close-up, nature-rich experience.

Travellers can also choose a 15-day round-trip adventure from Juneau, receiving a distinctive experience on each leg of the journey. Itineraries will feature excursions including kayaking among icebergs, stand-up paddle-boarding, wilderness hiking, snorkelling, cave exploration, fishing, whale-watching and more.

For more details, visit http://www.innerseadiscoveries.com/ or contact the adventure 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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