The school summer holidays may only just have begun but if you are a cruise fan, now is the time to start thinking about Christmas.
The cruise companies are already tempting passengers with a range of special deals – whether you prefer a blast of December sunshine in the Caribbean or have time for a longer voyage.
The family-focused Ventura sails from Barbados for 14 nights on December 21. Father Christmas will abseil down the funnel on December 25. The fare is from £2,779 per person, including flights from Birmingham, Manchester or Gatwick, with P&O (0843 3740111, www.pocruises.co.uk).
If you love theme parks, start your holiday with three nights at a hotel in Orlando, Florida, before joining Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas for an eight-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale. Departure is on December 21 and the fly-stay-cruise package costs from £1,929pp with Virgin Holidays (0844 5734398, www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk).
You could also be sea-kayaking and snorkelling from a beach in Roatan, Honduras, on Christmas Day, or viewing the reef in a semi-submarine. Those are just two of 55 free excursions available on a ten-night cruise aboard Seven Seas Navigator (02380 682280, www.rssc.com), sailing from Miami on December 18. The ship sails to Key West and the Caribbean coasts of Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. The all-inclusive price, from £3,809pp, covers flights and open bars.
Further afield, an adults-only Mysteries Of The Indian Ocean cruise with Swan Hellenic (0844 8220679, www.swanhellenic.com), sailing from Sri Lanka to Singapore, will spend Christmas Day at sea between the Andaman Islands and Rangoon. The 16-night cruise, leaving on December 19, costs from £2,010pp including flights and excursions.
Why not spend Christmas heading round Cape Horn from the Atlantic to the Pacific? A 17-night cruise on Oceania's Marina sails from Rio de Janeiro on December 10, heading down the coast of Argentina and up the coast of Chile with Christmas Day at sea. The cost is from £2,792pp including flights (0845 5051920, www.oceaniacruises.com).
You can even get in on the act if you like a walk at Christmas, with a no-fly, two-week Ramblers 'cruise and walk' holiday aboard Fred Olsen's Balmoral. It leaves on a round trip to the Canary Islands from Southampton on December 22. After three days at sea with a traditional Christmas on board, your first guided walk is on Madeira and there are hikes on La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and in Lisbon and Oporto. The cost is from £1,849pp (01707 386767, www.cruiseandwalk.co.uk).
For a bit more glitz, head to the Med on Divina, MSC's newest ship, launched this year. The 11-night cruise, a round trip from Genoa, calls at Barcelona, Casablanca, Madeira and Tenerife. On Christmas morning you'll wake up in Malaga. The cost is from £849pp including flights (0844 561 1955,
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Monday, 30 July 2012
Saturday, 28 July 2012
QE2 owners announce revised plans for floating hotel
Plans to turn the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise liner into a luxury hotel have been scaled back, the ship’s owners have admitted.
Cunard’s prestigious vessel was sold to the Dubai firm Istithmar five years ago for £64 million. Its final voyage was to the Middle East in 2008, but since then it has remained largely unused, and is currently moored in the unglamorous surroundings of Port Rashid.
Initially the owners had hoped to transform the ship into a lavishly-appointed 1000-room hotel, but now they say it will feature just 300 rooms, and will retain many of its original features.
Rather than moving it to the more tourist-friendly Palm Jumeirah, the ship will also remain in Port Rashid, where it is hoped it will help transform the area into a tourist attraction. A new maritime museum will soon open nearby, and plans for an expanded cruise ship terminal have also been announced.
“Unfortunately we had many ambitious plans but they didn't work," said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Istithmar. “There were plans to renovate it in such a way that it becomes something totally different.... but we realised that a lot of people like the ship as it was.”
He added that public areas such as restaurants and entertainment halls would be largely left alone.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
The QE2 was launched in 1969 by the Queen, making its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. It was operated for nearly 30 years by Cunard, and was used to carry troops to the south Atlantic during the Falklands War.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Cunard’s prestigious vessel was sold to the Dubai firm Istithmar five years ago for £64 million. Its final voyage was to the Middle East in 2008, but since then it has remained largely unused, and is currently moored in the unglamorous surroundings of Port Rashid.
Initially the owners had hoped to transform the ship into a lavishly-appointed 1000-room hotel, but now they say it will feature just 300 rooms, and will retain many of its original features.
Rather than moving it to the more tourist-friendly Palm Jumeirah, the ship will also remain in Port Rashid, where it is hoped it will help transform the area into a tourist attraction. A new maritime museum will soon open nearby, and plans for an expanded cruise ship terminal have also been announced.
“Unfortunately we had many ambitious plans but they didn't work," said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Istithmar. “There were plans to renovate it in such a way that it becomes something totally different.... but we realised that a lot of people like the ship as it was.”
He added that public areas such as restaurants and entertainment halls would be largely left alone.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
The QE2 was launched in 1969 by the Queen, making its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. It was operated for nearly 30 years by Cunard, and was used to carry troops to the south Atlantic during the Falklands War.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Friday, 27 July 2012
Sharp Increase in Northern Europe Cruises
Cruises to northern Europe have seen a sharp rise this year with the overall number of ‘cool water cruises' predicted to be up by 16 per cent compared to 2011.
The number of passengers cruising the Arctic, which includes Iceland, is predicted to increase by 37 per cent compared with last year. Cruises to the Norwegian fjords are expected to increase by 29 per cent. And round-U.K. cruises are forecast to increase by 16 per cent. Baltic cruises -- which account for the largest number of cruises in the region - are predicted to rise by six per cent.
The data, compiled for CLIA and the European Cruise Council – estimates that a total of 1.49 million cruise passengers are expected to cruise in northern European waters - up by 16 per cent from 1.28 million last year.
Bo Larsen, director of Cruise Baltic, an association of 25 Baltic Sea destinations and a partner to the European Cruise Council, said: “The Northern European cruise market is growing rapidly, benefitting both from the region's newly extended range of destinations and also from the cruise lines' desire to extend their season here well into the colder months of the year".
In all, cruise ships from a total 44 cruise lines serve a total 253 ports in the northern European region, of which 52 are in the Baltic, 78 in Norway and the Arctic region, and 123 in north western Europe (including the British Isles, North Sea and Atlantic ports).
Kathryn Beadle, MD at Hurtigruten U.K. said: “Having been established on the coast of Norway since 1893, Hurtigruten have been pioneers in promoting cooler climes. Travellers no longer just head to the sun for their holidays as they don't want to just flop and drop, they want authentic and unique experiences and when these are set within breath-taking scenery it provides travellers with memories that last a lifetime.”
• ‘Cool water cruising' is likely to receive a further boost with the news that a London-based travel specialist BAway will be the first agent to package a new visa-free cruise and stay package from Helsinki to St. Petersburg. The four-night break starts with flights from Heathrow to Helsinki before embarking on the Princess Maria, St. Peterline's ferry service from Helsinki. Guests spend overnight on the ferry, which has all the amenities of a cruise including five restaurants and bars, duty free shop and buffet dinner including free beer and wine on board. Passengers can then board the free shuttle bus into St Petersburg, using their ferry ticket as a visa to access the city.
Prices start from £479.00 per person for a four night stay, which includes two nights on the ferry, buffet dinner with wine/beer on the ferry each night and two nights twin bedded accommodation in a four star hotel in St. Petersburg as well as a bus ticket allowing travellers access to transport from the port and around the city for the duration of their stay.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
The number of passengers cruising the Arctic, which includes Iceland, is predicted to increase by 37 per cent compared with last year. Cruises to the Norwegian fjords are expected to increase by 29 per cent. And round-U.K. cruises are forecast to increase by 16 per cent. Baltic cruises -- which account for the largest number of cruises in the region - are predicted to rise by six per cent.
The data, compiled for CLIA and the European Cruise Council – estimates that a total of 1.49 million cruise passengers are expected to cruise in northern European waters - up by 16 per cent from 1.28 million last year.
Bo Larsen, director of Cruise Baltic, an association of 25 Baltic Sea destinations and a partner to the European Cruise Council, said: “The Northern European cruise market is growing rapidly, benefitting both from the region's newly extended range of destinations and also from the cruise lines' desire to extend their season here well into the colder months of the year".
In all, cruise ships from a total 44 cruise lines serve a total 253 ports in the northern European region, of which 52 are in the Baltic, 78 in Norway and the Arctic region, and 123 in north western Europe (including the British Isles, North Sea and Atlantic ports).
Kathryn Beadle, MD at Hurtigruten U.K. said: “Having been established on the coast of Norway since 1893, Hurtigruten have been pioneers in promoting cooler climes. Travellers no longer just head to the sun for their holidays as they don't want to just flop and drop, they want authentic and unique experiences and when these are set within breath-taking scenery it provides travellers with memories that last a lifetime.”
• ‘Cool water cruising' is likely to receive a further boost with the news that a London-based travel specialist BAway will be the first agent to package a new visa-free cruise and stay package from Helsinki to St. Petersburg. The four-night break starts with flights from Heathrow to Helsinki before embarking on the Princess Maria, St. Peterline's ferry service from Helsinki. Guests spend overnight on the ferry, which has all the amenities of a cruise including five restaurants and bars, duty free shop and buffet dinner including free beer and wine on board. Passengers can then board the free shuttle bus into St Petersburg, using their ferry ticket as a visa to access the city.
Prices start from £479.00 per person for a four night stay, which includes two nights on the ferry, buffet dinner with wine/beer on the ferry each night and two nights twin bedded accommodation in a four star hotel in St. Petersburg as well as a bus ticket allowing travellers access to transport from the port and around the city for the duration of their stay.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
More Holland America Line Capacity in Alaska for 2013
For the 2013 Alaska cruise season, Holland America Line is increasing its presence in the region with more departures and more guests than in previous years.
Although the number of Holland America ships deployed in Alaska will remain at seven — the same as 2012 — ms Amsterdam will double its departures on new seven-day roundtrip sailings from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As a result, Alaska-season departures will increase 8.5 percent and guest capacity will increase 6 percent over 2012.
Plus, Early Advantage savings feature complimentary upgrades and free and reduced fares for third or fourth guests who share the same stateroom on select sailings. By planning ahead, a family of four can take advantage of fares on select departure dates starting at $699 per person for the first and second guest in a stateroom, and the third and fourth sailing free. Taxes are additional.
“Increasing our capacity in Alaska means that Holland America Line will offer nearly 1.6 million passenger days in the 2013 season,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. “These itineraries have always been among our most popular, and Amsterdam’s new seven day departures will allow us to bring more guests to Alaska and show off the natural beauty of this part of the world. We also encourage travelers to book early and enjoy greater benefits with Early Advantage savings.”
When the 1,380-guest Amsterdam begins its Alaska season May 24, the ship will sail a series of 17 seven-day Inside Passage voyages. The Vancouver sailings feature port calls at Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as scenic cruising throughout Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm Fjord/Twin Sawyer glaciers.
For the 2013 Alaska cruise season, Holland America Line also will feature ms Zaandam and ms Statendam each sailing on 18 Gulf of Alaska departures from Vancouver. Statendam and Zaandam also will sail four total Inside Passage routes, along with Amsterdam (17), ms Volendam (21) and ms Zuiderdam (20). In addition, ms Oosterdam and ms Westerdam are slated to sail 21 and 20, respectively, seven-night voyages from Seattle, Wash.
Seven-day Alaskan Explorer Voyages Sail Roundtrip from Seattle
Starting May 5 and 11, respectively, the 1,916-guest Oosterdam (Sunday departures) and 1,916-guest Westerdam (Saturday departures) will sail 21 and 20 seven-day Alaskan Explorer voyages departing roundtrip from Seattle. The itinerary features port calls at Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia; and a scenic cruising experience at Tracy Arm Fjord/Twin Sawyer glaciers or Glacier Bay National Park.
Seven-day Inside Passage Voyages Sail Roundtrip from Vancouver
Five Holland America Line ships – Amsterdam, Statendam, Volendam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam – will sail roundtrip from Vancouver on a series of seven-day Inside Passage voyages. The 1,432-guest Volendam (Wednesday departures) and 1,916-guest Zuiderdam (Saturday departures) sail a total of 41 voyages from May 1 to September 21. During those voyages guests will visit Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park and make a shore excursion call at Tracy Arm Fjord.
Four additional Inside Passage cruises sail aboard Statendam and Zaandam. Statendam departs Vancouver May 5 and 12, and September 22. Zaandam departs May 5.
During embarkation for the Seattle voyages, a ranger from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park will be available to talk to guests about the Klondike parks and other national parks located throughout the Inside Passage. On all Glacier Bay sailings, a park ranger and native interpreters from the Huna people board the ships to explain the origins of their tribe and cultural traditions.
Seven-Day Glacier Discovery Voyages Sail from Vancouver to Seward (or reverse)
The 1,260-guest Statendam and 1,432-guest Zaandam once again will provide the only mid-sized cruise ship experience available in the Gulf of Alaska. Glacier Discovery cruises sail between Vancouver and Seward (Anchorage) with Sunday departures May 13 through September 16. The itinerary features port calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, a day at sea in the Gulf of Alaska and scenic cruising through the Inside Passage. Each ship will sail 18 voyages and include a visit to Glacier Bay.
CruiseTours and Exclusive Shore Adventures Provide More Discovery of Alaska
Added capacity and departures also will send more guests on the line’s CruiseTours, which combine a three-, four- or seven-day Inside Passage cruise with in-depth overland tours to the Yukon and Alaska’s interior. Offering up to three days at Denali National Park for wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery, CruiseTours are designed to highlight the best of Alaska’s wilderness, wildlife, native culture and history.
Holland America Line offers more than 250 optional shore excursions in conjunction with its Alaska cruises. While in port, guests can optimize their Alaskan experience with excursions that involve everything from adventure and wildlife watching to history, art and cuisine. Exclusive Cruise with Purpose shore excursions turn vacation time into an exciting give-and-take opportunity — combining traditional tour content with a chance to make a difference to society, the environment, animal welfare or economic growth.
Guests also can enjoy active excursions such as sea kayaking, fly or sport fishing, dog sledding and viewing eagles, sea otters and whales. Other exciting excursions feature such attractions as the White Pass Summit Scenic Railway from Skagway, Russian heritage in Sitka, a photography tour in Haines and a five-course tasting meal featuring Alaska seafood prepared by a local chef in Ketchikan.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Although the number of Holland America ships deployed in Alaska will remain at seven — the same as 2012 — ms Amsterdam will double its departures on new seven-day roundtrip sailings from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As a result, Alaska-season departures will increase 8.5 percent and guest capacity will increase 6 percent over 2012.
Plus, Early Advantage savings feature complimentary upgrades and free and reduced fares for third or fourth guests who share the same stateroom on select sailings. By planning ahead, a family of four can take advantage of fares on select departure dates starting at $699 per person for the first and second guest in a stateroom, and the third and fourth sailing free. Taxes are additional.
“Increasing our capacity in Alaska means that Holland America Line will offer nearly 1.6 million passenger days in the 2013 season,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs. “These itineraries have always been among our most popular, and Amsterdam’s new seven day departures will allow us to bring more guests to Alaska and show off the natural beauty of this part of the world. We also encourage travelers to book early and enjoy greater benefits with Early Advantage savings.”
When the 1,380-guest Amsterdam begins its Alaska season May 24, the ship will sail a series of 17 seven-day Inside Passage voyages. The Vancouver sailings feature port calls at Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as scenic cruising throughout Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm Fjord/Twin Sawyer glaciers.
For the 2013 Alaska cruise season, Holland America Line also will feature ms Zaandam and ms Statendam each sailing on 18 Gulf of Alaska departures from Vancouver. Statendam and Zaandam also will sail four total Inside Passage routes, along with Amsterdam (17), ms Volendam (21) and ms Zuiderdam (20). In addition, ms Oosterdam and ms Westerdam are slated to sail 21 and 20, respectively, seven-night voyages from Seattle, Wash.
Seven-day Alaskan Explorer Voyages Sail Roundtrip from Seattle
Starting May 5 and 11, respectively, the 1,916-guest Oosterdam (Sunday departures) and 1,916-guest Westerdam (Saturday departures) will sail 21 and 20 seven-day Alaskan Explorer voyages departing roundtrip from Seattle. The itinerary features port calls at Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, Alaska; Victoria, British Columbia; and a scenic cruising experience at Tracy Arm Fjord/Twin Sawyer glaciers or Glacier Bay National Park.
Seven-day Inside Passage Voyages Sail Roundtrip from Vancouver
Five Holland America Line ships – Amsterdam, Statendam, Volendam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam – will sail roundtrip from Vancouver on a series of seven-day Inside Passage voyages. The 1,432-guest Volendam (Wednesday departures) and 1,916-guest Zuiderdam (Saturday departures) sail a total of 41 voyages from May 1 to September 21. During those voyages guests will visit Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park and make a shore excursion call at Tracy Arm Fjord.
Four additional Inside Passage cruises sail aboard Statendam and Zaandam. Statendam departs Vancouver May 5 and 12, and September 22. Zaandam departs May 5.
During embarkation for the Seattle voyages, a ranger from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park will be available to talk to guests about the Klondike parks and other national parks located throughout the Inside Passage. On all Glacier Bay sailings, a park ranger and native interpreters from the Huna people board the ships to explain the origins of their tribe and cultural traditions.
Seven-Day Glacier Discovery Voyages Sail from Vancouver to Seward (or reverse)
The 1,260-guest Statendam and 1,432-guest Zaandam once again will provide the only mid-sized cruise ship experience available in the Gulf of Alaska. Glacier Discovery cruises sail between Vancouver and Seward (Anchorage) with Sunday departures May 13 through September 16. The itinerary features port calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, a day at sea in the Gulf of Alaska and scenic cruising through the Inside Passage. Each ship will sail 18 voyages and include a visit to Glacier Bay.
CruiseTours and Exclusive Shore Adventures Provide More Discovery of Alaska
Added capacity and departures also will send more guests on the line’s CruiseTours, which combine a three-, four- or seven-day Inside Passage cruise with in-depth overland tours to the Yukon and Alaska’s interior. Offering up to three days at Denali National Park for wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery, CruiseTours are designed to highlight the best of Alaska’s wilderness, wildlife, native culture and history.
Holland America Line offers more than 250 optional shore excursions in conjunction with its Alaska cruises. While in port, guests can optimize their Alaskan experience with excursions that involve everything from adventure and wildlife watching to history, art and cuisine. Exclusive Cruise with Purpose shore excursions turn vacation time into an exciting give-and-take opportunity — combining traditional tour content with a chance to make a difference to society, the environment, animal welfare or economic growth.
Guests also can enjoy active excursions such as sea kayaking, fly or sport fishing, dog sledding and viewing eagles, sea otters and whales. Other exciting excursions feature such attractions as the White Pass Summit Scenic Railway from Skagway, Russian heritage in Sitka, a photography tour in Haines and a five-course tasting meal featuring Alaska seafood prepared by a local chef in Ketchikan.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
MSC Divina Homeports in Miami for 2013-2014 Winter
MSC Cruises is deploying the 139,000-ton Divina on Caribbean cruises out of Miami from Nov. 20, 2013 to April 12, 2014 – the first time a Fantasia-class ship is sailing from a North American homeport.
According to MSC, the Divina has 1,751 staterooms and 30,000 square meters of public space which include a casino, seven restaurants, 20 bars and lounges, 4 swimming pools, a bowling alley, a gym and the Aurea spa.
The ship also features the MSC Yacht Club – “a ship-within-a-ship” – designed as a sanctuary for guests seeking peace, privacy and exclusivity but with access to all that large cruise ships offer. The MSC Yacht Club offers 69 butler serviced superior suites, 24 hour concierge service, the dedicated restaurant Le Muse, a private swimming pool featuring the One Bar, private decks, private lift access to MSC Aurea Spa, complimentary wines and spirits and sweeping sea views from its private Top Sail Lounge.
The Divina departs from Venice Nov. 2, 2013 for a 19-day trans-Atlantic crossing, calling at Valletta, Malaga, Funchal, St. Maarten, San Juan and Nassau, before arriving in Miami.
Three different seven-night Caribbean itineraries will be offered: Four cruises calling at St. Maarten, San Juan and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Ten sailings calling at Falmouth, Cayman Islands, Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay. Six cruises to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Great Stirrup Cay. And, one cruise to Bermuda also calling at Great Stirrup Cay.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
According to MSC, the Divina has 1,751 staterooms and 30,000 square meters of public space which include a casino, seven restaurants, 20 bars and lounges, 4 swimming pools, a bowling alley, a gym and the Aurea spa.
The ship also features the MSC Yacht Club – “a ship-within-a-ship” – designed as a sanctuary for guests seeking peace, privacy and exclusivity but with access to all that large cruise ships offer. The MSC Yacht Club offers 69 butler serviced superior suites, 24 hour concierge service, the dedicated restaurant Le Muse, a private swimming pool featuring the One Bar, private decks, private lift access to MSC Aurea Spa, complimentary wines and spirits and sweeping sea views from its private Top Sail Lounge.
The Divina departs from Venice Nov. 2, 2013 for a 19-day trans-Atlantic crossing, calling at Valletta, Malaga, Funchal, St. Maarten, San Juan and Nassau, before arriving in Miami.
Three different seven-night Caribbean itineraries will be offered: Four cruises calling at St. Maarten, San Juan and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Ten sailings calling at Falmouth, Cayman Islands, Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay. Six cruises to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Great Stirrup Cay. And, one cruise to Bermuda also calling at Great Stirrup Cay.
Looking for the latest FABCruise offers on a wide range of cruise holidays let FABTHINGS2do help you.
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