Saga Sets Sail With E-Book Library

Saga Cruises' adventuring voyager Saga Pearl II is setting sail later this month with an all-new e-books library curated by Penguin Books.

From November 22, passengers will be able to pick up a tablet and choose from 36 titles specially curated by Penguin’s experts, a world-first on cruise ships.

The tablets will carry a selection of Penguin titles downloaded in 12 genres, including crime and adventure, escapist fiction, travel writing, literary gems, historical fiction and celebrity biography to match Saga passengers’ reading preferences. Penguin has also donated physical copies of all 36 books to Pearl II’s library.

The ship sails from Southampton and arrives in Venice on December 3, where passengers can extend their stay in a 4 star-rated hotel for three nights. There will be a Venetian masked ball, performances from soprano Hayley Westenra, The Operababes, The Three Tenors tribute act and The Gondolier Trio, plus the opportunity to visit the ancient ruins of Cartagena, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, mythical Corfu, historic Split and the beautiful city of Venice.

Prices for this all-inclusive cruise start from £1,679 for 11 nights (Nov 22-Dec 3), £1,999 for 13 nights (Dec 3-16) or £2,749 for 24 nights. The three-night stay in Venice costs from £399 including breakfast. The price also includes UK door-to-door travel service, all meals, soft drinks and house-branded alcohol, entertainment, gratuities, room service and travel insurance and cancellation cover.

More info: call 0800 051 3355 or visit saga.co.uk/cruises.

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Un-Cruise's New Washington Adventures

Adventure travellers seeking to explore Washington State’s islands and shores will have a whole new opportunity next spring as the experts of Un-Cruise Adventures unveil a novel itinerary. And there's a bonus for anyone booking by December 20, with a saving of $100 per couple on the new 'Explore! Olympic Wilderness & San Juan Islands' sailings.

Beginning April 2014 and returning in the autumn, the 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer expedition vessel will explore Washington’s Puget Sound and Salish Sea from South Hood Canal to Olympic Peninsula and the San Juan Islands. Week long Active Adventure cruises sail round-trip from Seattle, with cruise rates beginning at $1,595 per person, double occupancy (before savings) and including all meals, transfers, adventure activities, hot tub, sauna and yoga on deck.

Guests making a new booking by December 20 for travel April-May 2014 or September-November 2014, receive a $100 per couple Adventure Savings.
 

The expedition vessel carries a full complement of adventure gear for kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, hiking and skiff excursions. A custom-made kayak launch platform allows four kayaks at once to quickly and safely launch off a stable platform.

Highlights of the itinerary include hiking in the Olympic Mountains, Mt. Constitution and Washington State Parks. Waterborne expeditions by kayaks, skiffs and paddle-boards explore glacial fjords and the San Juan archipelago. In Quilcene Bay, a local family hosts a home-grown oyster and clam tasting. Guests enjoy free time in scenic Friday Harbor and discover Native cultures in Port Townsend.

Travellers also spend the week searching out and seeing marine life and seabirds up close. Gray whales, orcas, seals, sea lions and bald eagles are all found in the area. A knowledgeable team of expedition guides leads excursions and provides interpretation along the way.

A Washington craft beer theme cruise scheduled for the April 19 departure also features guest experts Kendall Jones and Kim Sharpe Jones, authorities on the Seattle craft beer scene. Guests will enjoy nightly tastings of select craft beer from nearby breweries aboard the vessel, presentations by the Jones’ and beer recommendations matching the evening’s dinner menu.

More info: call (in the US) 1888 862 8881 or visit www.un-cruise.com.

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Try A Hurtigruten Christmas & New Year

Hurtigruten is now offering two voyages for the price of one on selected dates over the festive period, meaning a Christmas break could cost as little as £49 per person per night on full-board basis, with their unique Norwegian coastal cruising.

Hurtigruten ships offer traditional festive specialities and the typically Norwegian relaxed atmosphere. Guests who not only want to enjoy the festive atmosphere on board but also experience the Norwegian Winter’s Tale on shore have a whole host of activities to choose from, including a dog-sledding tour, a snowmobile safari and even a reindeer sleigh ride. There is something on offer for every Arctic adventurer!

On December 24, all the line's ships will moor in their respective ports for approximately 24 hours. In each location, guests are cordially invited to attend Christmas mass at the local churches. Christmas Eve is then celebrated on board with the crew and guests, and Julenissen, the Norwegian Father Christmas, pays the ships a visit.

The MS Polarlys will be arriving in Kjøllefjord on Christmas Eve, where it will stay until Christmas evening. The 12-day Classic Round Voyage departing on December 19 costs from £1,177 per person (based on two sharing, full board basis). Those taking advantage of the ‘two for one’ offer will enjoy the trip for just £589 per person. Flights are available for an additional £450 per person. The Wilderness Adventure camp excursion, including reindeer driving plus dog-sledding or snowmobile safari, costs from £235 per person.

Guests on the MS Midnatsol will be able to welcome the New Year in a very special place: after a festive New Year's Eve on board in the port of Tromsø, they can enjoy a New Year’s Day excursion to the North Cape, mainland Europe’s northernmost point. There, guests are greeted by an exclusive New Year’s concert in the North Cape Hall.

The 7 Day Voyage north on board Midnatsol, departing from Bergen on December 27, costs from £1,046 per person (based on two sharing on full board basis). Flights are available for an additional £510 per person. The excursion to the North Cape costs £165 per person. The two for one offer is for a limited period only and subject to availability.

More info: call 020 3582 6642 or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

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Seabourn's World Voyage Selections

Luxury cruise line Seabourn has released a selection of terrific offers for those seeking some excitement this winter, based on several sectors of the grand World Cruise aboard Seabourn Sojourn (which we highlighted earlier this month on this blog).

 

The two tempting sectors are as follows, with their special pricing (and onboard credit bonus) after each one:

34-day cruise from Los Angeles to Sydney

Itinerary: Los Angeles, California; Hilo, Hawaii; Lahaina, Hawaii; Honolulu, Hawaii; Nawiliwili, Hawaii; crossing the equator; Papeete, French Polynesia; Moorea, French Polyensia; Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; Cross International Dateline; Auckland, New Zealand; Tauranga, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; Nelson, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia.

• Scenic cities – Auckland & Los Angeles
• Hawaiian gems – Honolulu & Nawiliwili

Prices now start from £10,999pp for fly/cruise, based on two people sharing a suite, fully inclusive of all tips and gratuities, fine dining, open bars and fully stocked mini-bar. They also include $500 on-board spending.

22-day cruise from Mumbai to Venice

Itinerary: Mumbai, India; Salalah, Oman; Aqaba, Jordan; enter Suez Canal at Suez; daylight transit Suez Canal; exit Suez Canal at Port Said; Ashdod, Israel; Haifa, Israel; Rhodes, Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; Kerkira, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Triluke Bay, Croatia; Venice, Italy

• Scenic cities – Venice & Mumbai
• Guests can experience the Suez Canal

Prices start from £6,599pp for fly/cruise, based on two people sharing a suite, fully inclusive of all tips and gratuities, fine dining, open bars and fully stocked mini bar. Price also includes $250 on-board spending.

 

More info: call  0843 373 2000 or visit www.seabourn.co.uk.

 

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More Voluntourism Chances With Crystal

Crystal Cruises’ guests and crew will have twice as many more opportunities to give back locally during the line's 2014 World Cruise, with an expanded You Care, We Care programme during Crystal Serenity’s 89-night, Los Angeles to Southampton global journey (departing January 18).

The new-look voluntourism offers can help underprivileged children, the eco-system or a local memorial in places like Hawaii, Asia and Africa, with Crystal handling all costs and logistics. Crystal offers one complimentary voluntour per cruise, always aiding a small, local organisation. However, the five segments on next year’s World Cruise boast seven unique excursions in seven ports. Assistance opportunities include:

• Gardening and weeding Honolulu’s Makapu’u Beach to help preserve dwindling native plant life.
• Helping build structures and clean playgrounds at Father’s Home Care Ministries’ home for disadvantaged children in Takoradi, Ghana.
• Reading to underprivileged children to improve literacy as part of Singapore’s LIFE programme (offered on two World Cruise segments).
• Teaching, singing, gardening and playing with orphans in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
• Preparing meals, babysitting or reading to the abandoned, abused, neglected or orphaned children of Baphumelele Children’s Home near Cape Town.
• Crafting the commemorative candles to be lit at Nagasaki’s annual Peace Ceremony, in remembrance of the lives lost to WWII’s atomic bomb.
• Engaging in the day-to-day programmes (knitting, gardening, schoolwork etc) of the orphaned children raised and cared for by families in Durban’s SOS Children’s Village.

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

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Costa's Big Investment In Ship Refurbishment

Costa Cruises is investing more than €10million in major refurbishments of three of the fleet’s ships, which are scheduled to arrive in Genoa this month for planned maintenance work.

The work will be performed at San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, one of the international leaders for ship repairs and refitting. 

 
The boutique-style 24,400-ton Costa Voyager will be serviced first for about two weeks from 7 November, while Costa neoRiviera (above; 48,200 tons) will also be in the shipyard from 7-12 November and Costa Classica (53,000 tons) will receive maintenance works from 12 November to 21 December.

Operations will include the hull and engine section for Costa Voyager, while work on Costa Classica is routine maintenance, performed on average every 36 months, involving both the hull and engine section and the hotel section. 

 

For Costa neoRiviera, previously operated as the Grand Mistral for Iberocruceros, the Spanish brand owned by the Costa Crociere S.p.A. Group, operations scheduled in addition to hull and engine work include renovations to open-air decks and inside guest areas to add to the charming atmosphere reminiscent of the Italian and French Rivieras.

More info: call 0800 389 0622 or visit www.costacruises.co.uk. 

 

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Take A Voyage of Discovery To India & South-East Asia

Boutique cruise line Voyages of Discovery are inviting bookings for their Autumn Sale, offering big savings on two major cruises to India and south-east Asia. 

The 16-day "Treasures of Asia" tour departs February 17 and showcases the highlights of Asia, from the frenetic capital of the Philippines to the beautiful temples of Cambodia. Other highlights on this itinerary include the opportunity to take in the world’s largest orang-utan sanctuary in Borneo, the stunning beaches in Cebu and The Temple of Dawn in Bangkok. As part of the Autumn Sale offer, prices for this cruise start now from £1,899 per person for an inside cabin. 

On the 20-day "Colours of the Indian Ocean" voyage departing March 4, guests will experience the magnificent temples and palaces of Bangkok and the colonial charm of Singapore before exploring the beauty of Malaysia and India. Highlights of this stunning itinerary include the opportunity to explore the breath-taking beauty of Kerala’s world-renowned backwaters, the tranquillity of the idyllic Andaman Islands and the bustling metropolis of Mumbai. Prices start from £2,118 per person for an inside cabin.

Prices for all 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.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk or call 0844 488 0893.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!

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