Take A Voyage Of Discovery In 2013/14

The new Winter 2013/14 season with Voyages of Discovery sees MV Voyager heading to the Far East with 21 new ports of call for the brand, including Dubai, Tokyo and San Remo through to itineraries in India, China, Myanmar, South Korea and Japan.  

The line's newest ship will also call at the bustling port of Bangkok (Thailand) and berth right in the heart of the city - a completely new venture for Voyages of Discovery, made possible due to the small size of Voyager. Voyages of Discovery is also offering a 5% early booking discount on all Winter 2013/14 bookings made by October 31. 

Highlights of the programme include:

• Asian Capitals and the Magic of Vietnam – A 19-day cruise from £2,399 per person. Passengers can explore Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore and Hong Kong before taking in the scenery of UNESCO listed beauty spot, Ha Long Bay (Vietnam). Price is based on a January 2, 2014, UK departure.

• Treasures of Asia – A 16-day cruise from £1,999 per person. Guests can discover the nature and wildlife in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Highlights include a visit to Thailand’s bustling capital of Bangkok, Mount Kinabalu National Park (Malaysia) and the Angkor Wat temple (Cambodia). Price is based on a February 17, 2014, UK departure.

• Ancient Worlds and Modern Masterpieces – A 15-day cruise from £1,599 per person where passengers can experience the Suez and Corinth Canals. Price is based on an April 7, 2014, UK departure.

Guests can enjoy Voyager’s newly-enhanced features, including three restaurants offering a range of dining options and al fresco dining and flexible seating, the refreshed library area and the Lookout Lounge, which provides panoramic views from the front of the ship. Almost 90% of the cabins are outside cabins and 30 have balconies. All of the public areas on board will benefit from a light refurbishment including new art work and soft furnishings.

All Voyages of Discovery standard fares include return flights from the UK on fly cruises, all relevant overseas transfers, gratuities and service charges, meals and entertainment and the Guest Speaker programme on board the ship. A complimentary chauffeur service is available on higher grade cabin bookings. 

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

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Norwegian's September Bonus

Guests booking with Norwegian Cruise Line this month will automatically receive up to $500 per stateroom to spend on board as part of a special autumn promotion. The offer is valid when a European or Transatlantic cruise of three nights or more is booked by September 30 for travel from April 2013-2014.

Once on board, guests can redeem this credit against a range of experiences which could include luxurious treatments in the ships’ spas, or shore excursions which give guests the chance to explore ports of call during their trip. 

Speciality restaurant dining is another way guests can choose to use their onboard credit as Norwegian’s ships have a choice of up to 28 dining options with eateries including the impressive Teppenyaki, Cagney’s American steakhouse, authentic French and Italian or the Brazilian Churrascaria where meat is served by tableside passadors.

Itineraries included in the offer range from Transatlantic crossings to Eastern and Western Mediterranean, Greek Isles, Canary Islands and Baltics sailings on five Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Itineraries in the offer include: 

• A seven-night Venice and Aegean Sea fly-cruise on Norwegian Jade. Departing various dates from May-October 2013, sailing from Venice and calling at Dubrovnik, Piraeus (for Athens), Izmir (for Ephesus) and Split. Priced from £904pp based on a May 11 departure. 
• A seven-night Western Mediterranean fly-cruise on Norwegian Epic. Departing various dates between May and October, sailing from Barcelona and calling at Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Livorno (for Florence/Pisa), Cannes and Marseille. Priced from £949pp, based on departures October 6 and 13. 
• A nine-night Baltic Capitals from Copenhagen fly-cruise on Norwegian Star. Departing various dates between May and September 2013, from Copenhagen to Warnemünde (for Berlin), Tallinn, St. Petersburg (overnight), Helsinki and Stockholm. Priced from £1,214pp based on May 7 and 16 departures. 
• An eight-night Transatlantic cruise on board the brand new Norwegian Breakaway. Departing on April 30 from Southampton and arriving in New York City. Priced from £1036pp.   

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

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Learn A New Skill At Sea With Swan Hellenic

Want to perfect your handiwork with a paintbrush, get to grips with Tai Chi or learn the art of needlework? Join Swan Hellenic’s recently refurbished ship, MV Minerva, for a 15-day Passage to Oman cruise and try your hand at a new skill.

Passengers on board the Middle Eastern cruise can make the most of the ship’s enhanced facilities during their time at sea and take part in a range of workshops and masterclasses. Tai Chi master Qu Leilei will join passengers on board to teach them the ancient art of body and mind relaxation whilst Sophie Long, who is trained in more than 30 embroidery techniques, will also be hosting fascinating needlework workshops.

The Passage to Oman cruise starts from £1,595 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin) and departs from Safaga (Egypt, overnight) to call at Djibouti, Salalah (Oman), Muscat (Oman, overnight), Khasab (Oman) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates, overnight). The price is based on the November 21 departure. Masterclasses on board other Swan Hellenic cruises can include painting, bridge, writing, singing and wine-tasting.

The price also includes return flights from the UK, transfers, a tailor-made programme of shore excursions, talks by eminent Guest Speakers, meals and entertainment on board, all gratuities and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. 

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

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Quark's New Polar 2013 Season

Quark Expeditions is pleased to announce the company’s Arctic 2013 season, featuring icebreaker adventures to the North Pole and luxury ship expeditions to Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland.

Many of the Arctic region's most sought after destinations are coming back for the 2013 season, with two North Pole voyages departing June 19 and June 30, as well as the “Three Arctic Islands: Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen” trip, which was named as one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime” in 2011.

New Expedition Added

New for next year's season is the “Greenland Explorer: Valleys and Fjords” expedition, which follows the dramatic coast of the world’s largest island. Passengers will get to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Illusiat Ice Fjord, one of the largest and fastest moving glaciers. It travels approximately 100 feet per day while dropping huge icebergs into its narrow coastal inlets.

Explorers will also encounter indigenous communities as well as the rich animal life surrounding this beautiful country, including many varieties of seals, whales, dolphins, polar bears and sea birds. The journey takes passengers to two of the world’s most northern capitals, beginning in Ottawa and ending in Reykjavik (the reverse itinerary is also available). Prices start from £4,120 for 14 and 15-day itineraries for departures in August 2013.

For more adventure cruise ideas, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading adventure-cruising specialists.

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Silversea Add Belfast To UK Flight Programme

Award-winning Silversea has announced Belfast as the latest UK route to be added to its extensive flight programme. The luxury line will introduce the new route to all of its worldwide voyages, with Belfast also included in the complimentary return economy air programme on selected voyages for the remainder of 2012 and 2013.

Silversea maintains relationships with most international carriers to ensure the best airfares and schedules are available to its guests, offering complimentary economy air on 95% of all voyages. Guests can also take advantage of Silversea’s attractive upgrade rates to Business and First Class.

With all-suite accommodations, butler service and all-inclusive indulgences such as gourmet cuisine inspired by Relais & Châteaux, Silversea offers itineraries to the most vibrant and intriguing of destinations while its smaller ships allow access to rarely-seen harbours off the beaten track and can also dock right in the heart of a city rather than anchoring offshore, allowing guests more time to explore.

Belfast will be the ninth air city in the Silversea UK Air Programme, adding to Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, London, Manchester and Newcastle.

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

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National Cruise Week!

OK, British cruising's big annual sales and marketing bonanza is about to kick off and it's time to pay attention to many of the special deals and other incentives on offer.

Just to start with, National Cruise Week runs from September 15-23 this year, and it is a feature item for all cruise agent specialists and others keen to promote the idea of holidays at sea.

Organised by the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE) and the UK's Passenger Shipping Association (PSA), it is a chance for cruising to really showcase its amazing range of choice and quality, as well as the sheer value for money that a cruise represents.

It all starts this Saturday and, for the ensuing 8 days, there will be a range of special offers, discounts and other added 'extras' for anyone booking a cruise during the week.

William Gibbons, Director of the PSA, says: “This is now the fifth National Cruise Week and it has gained a momentum all of its own. We cannot shy away from the fact the industry has faced a challenging start to the year; however cruising is still continuing to grow in popularity. This is because a cruise offers exceptional value with a huge range of accommodation and destinations from the top-end exclusive, intimate cruise to the family fun holiday, all including meals and entertainment. It is key to the continuing growth of the market that we focus on attracting new people to the cruise concept, and National Cruise Week is promoting the amazing and diverse range of experiences and incredible value that cruising offers.”

We have already highlighted the Cruise Week offers from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises on September 9 (see it on this link), but there are certainly others, and it is worth making a note of what's available for your next (or first) cruise:

Inclusive ultra-luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas is extending its luxurious ‘gift with purchase’ guest promotion with L’Occitane, the renowned Provencal body and skincare brand offered in the line’s suite bathrooms onboard, for National Cruise Week. Guests who book a 2013 cruise with Regent between 15-23 September will receive a gorgeous ‘his and hers’ gift set from L’Occitane worth £180, including the award-winning ‘Immortelle’ Precious Cream.  

MSC Cruises is offering free onboard credit for any 2013 booking made during NCW 2012 on any ship in the fleet. The amount of credit offered depends on the cabin category booked. Passengers in a Category 1 inside cabin, for example, will receive £10 OBC per person; for a Cateogry 7 outside cabin they will receive £70, rising to £130 for a category 13 Aurea Suite. 

The PSA is also highlighting a chance to have a 'Tea-time cruise talk' with various specialists during the week, and you can find out more on this link. More special offers will be unveiled during the week itself, so be sure to check the PSA link below for all the latest details.

For more information on National Cruise Week, contact ACE on this link, or call 020 7323 7464, or the PSA on this link or 020 7436.

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New Sampler Cruises From Oceania

Oceania Cruises is offering two new 'taster' cruises on board the company’s brand new mid-sized, luxury cruise ship Riviera. 

The six-night sailings, which depart on November3 and 9, cost from £1,026 per person, and include a $300 shipboard credit per stateroom, free return UK flights, all meals, soft drinks and bottled water. In addition, the first 20 bookings made will receive a free upgrade from a Veranda stateroom to a Concierge Level Veranda, which includes complimentary champagne on arrival and free use of the exclusive Concierge Lounge. 

By offering the two new shorter sailings, the company is providing first-time cruisers and those who haven’t previously experienced the high-quality Oceania fleet the opportunity to sample the company’s legendary cuisine, to take a cookery lesson in the only hands-on cookery school at sea, enjoy complimentary crafts and digital photography courses in the `Artist’s Loft’, food and wine pairing and tastings in La Reserve wine-tasting centre or the opportunity to relax in the Canyon Ranch Spa. 

The first of the taster cruises embarks with an overnight stay in Venice and calls into Dubrovnik, Corfu, Messina, Sorrento and Capri before arriving into Civitavecchia on November 9. The second sector embarks in Civitavecchia and calls into Livorno for Florence and Pisa, then Monte Carlo, Marseille and Barcelona, where guests disembark on November 15 after a full day and overnight in the city. 

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

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.