Regent Throws in Perks if You Pair Two Exotic Voyages
On Nov. 8, 2010, Regent Seven Seas (tel. 877/505-5370; www.rssc.com) is offering a 12-night Dubai to Mahe (Seychelles) cruise aboard the 700-passenger, all-suite Seven Seas Mariner starting at $7,999 per person. Following it on Nov. 20 is a 13-night Mahe to Cape Town voyage starting at $8,499 per person. If you combine the two sailings for a 25-night cruise from Dubai to Cape Town, fares start at $15,780 per person and extras thrown in include a free three-night overland Taj Mahal trip, or a complimentary three-night post-cruise safari, or an additional $2,000 bonus savings per person. Up to $200 per suite shipboard credit is also included in the deal. All three voyages include upgrades to business-class air for $999 each way and a reduced single supplement of 50% for select suite categories. All fares include complimentary open bar and all tips. Certain restrictions apply and the offer expires June 30, 2010.
South Pacific Savings
Paul Gauguin Cruises (tel. 800/848-6172; www.pgcruises.com) is offering up to 45% off 7-night Tahiti and Society Island sailings aboard the elegant 332-passenger Paul Gauguin and 2-for-1 round-trip airfare from Los Angeles if you book them before June 30, 2010. The cruises sail round-trip from Papeete, Tahiti, visit Raiatea, Tahaa, Moorea, and the legendary Bora Bora. Fares include all alcoholic beverages and tips. Certain restrictions apply.
- July 24, 31 & Aug. 7, 2010: 7 nights from $3,495 per person.
- Sept. 18 & 25, 2010: 7 nights from $3,395 per person.
- Oct. 23, 30, 2010: 7 nights from $3,145 per person.
Crystal's in the Holiday Mood
Crystal (tel. 888/799-4625; www.crystalcruises.com) is giving gifts to families on Crystal Serenity's 14-night Caribbean Christmas/New Year cruise on Dec. 21, 2010.
Round-trip from Miami, the cruise calls on St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua, St. Maarten, Curaçao, and Grand Turk. Two-for-one fares start at $7,995 per person, double occupancy, and include $500 per person shipboard credits. The Crystal Family Memories program offers extra perks for groups of six or 10, including free passage for children age 17 and under sailing with two full-fare adults.
Junior Activities Directors will sail on board the cruise to host free supervised activities and behind-the-scenes tours; optional babysitting is also available. For adults, there are dozens of classes through Crystal's Creative Learning Institute and Crystal Visions Lecture Series, including presentations by a National Geographic scientist and an expert in Russian foreign policy. On shore, excursions range from helicopter rides to deep sea fishing and zip-lining.
To put passengers in the mood for the holidays, Crystal Serenity will be decked out with more than $100,000 worth of seasonal decorations, from handcrafted ornaments to elaborate sleighs and displays. Festive holiday dinners, parties and entertainment are planned for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, culminating with a New Year's Eve black tie gala. Clergy will be aboard to conduct religious services.
Jamming for Less
Island Windjammers (tel. 877/772-4549; www.islandwindjammers.com) is offering a 6-night Grenadines sailing aboard the Diamant for as low as $1,299 per person on the June 27, 2010 departure. Sailing round-trip from St. George, Grenada, the lovely 101-foot brigantine schooner with six cozy cabins offers a unique tall ship experience in this age of homogenous mega ship cruising and includes visits to Carriacou, Union Island, Bequia, Tobago Cays, Mayreau and Mustique. Certain restrictions apply.
Costa Puts Europe on Sale
Costa Cruises (tel. 800/GO-COSTA; www.costacruises.com) is selling peak-season Europe cruises this summer for as low as $699 per person aboard the new 3,000-passenger Costa Pacifica as well as the Costa Serena, Costa Concordia, Costa Fortuna and Costa Victoria. The low fares apply to 7-night cruises out of Venice and Barcelona and certain sailings include free three-category upgrades. For example, the Costa Pacifica does 7-night western Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona and visits Palma de Mallorca, Tunis, Valletta, Catania, Civitavecchia/Rome and Savona. The weeklong eastern Mediterranean cruises out of Venice aboard sister ship Costa Serena call on Bari, Katakolon (Olympia), Izmir, Istanbul and Dubrovnik. The Costa Concordia from Barcelona calls on France, Italy and Tunisia while it's the Greek Isles for Costa Fortuna and Costa Victoria.
Hot Deals from Norwegian
NCL (tel. 866/234-0292; www.ncl.com) is offering these great deals if booked by Friday, June 11, 2010. Call to book and mention promotion codes. Certain restrictions apply.
- July 2-Aug. 14, 2010, aboard Norwegian Jewel. 7-night Bahamas and Florida round-trip from New York, calling in Orlando, Florida; Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian's private island); Nassau and Grand Bahamas Island. Fares start at $649 per person for best available inside cabins.
- July 7 & 30, 2010, aboard Norwegian Sky. 3-night Bahamas round-trip from Miami, calling in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian's private island). Fares start at $239 per person for best available inside cabins.
- July 23, 2010, aboard Norwegian Spirit. 7-night Bermuda round-trip from Boston, calling in King's Wharf. Fares start at $699 per person for best available inside cabins.
- Aug. 7 & 15, 2010, aboard Norwegian Star & Pearl. 7-night Alaska round-trip from Seattle, calling in Ketchikan; Juneau; Skagway and British Columbia. Fares start at $749 per person for best available inside cabins.
Carnival Gives Back
Carnival Cruises (tel. 800/CARNIVAL; carnival.com) is dishing out "cash back" shipboard credits of up to $160 per cabin for a wide range of cruises through February 2011. The promotion is available in conjunction with virtually all of the line's 3- to 8-night cruises, including voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico, departing from a variety of North American homeports. Get a shipboard credit of up to $80 per stateroom on 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises and up to $160 per stateroom on voyages of 6 days or longer for use in the spa, shops, restaurants and for shore excursions; any unused funds at the end of the cruise will be returned to guests on debarkation day in the form of a check. The promotion is valid only with the line's "Fun Select" fares and bookings must be made by June 30, 2010.
MSC Wheels and Deals
MSC Cruises (tel. 877/665-4655; www.msccruisesusa.com) is offering fall foliage cruises between New York City and Quebec City aboard the two-year-old, 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia for as low as $899 per person for a balcony cabin when booked by June 21, 2010. Certain restrictions apply.
- 10-night "Dazzling Fall Foliage" round-trip from New York City calling in Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Quebec City, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Newport, Rhode Island; and New York, New York. Sept 22 sailing; rates begin at $1,399 per person.
- 7-night "Scenic Splendors of Fall" from New York City calling in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; and Quebec City, Quebec. Oct 2 sailing; rates begin at $999 per person.
- 7-night "Brilliant Colors of Fall" from Quebec City calling in Sydney, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island; and New York, New York. Oct. 9 sailing, rates start at $1,089 per person.
- 7-night "Captivating Colors of Canada" from New York City calling in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Quebec City, Quebec. Oct. 16 sailing; rates begin at $999 per person.
- 9-night "Autumn Leaves to Palm Trees" from Quebec City calling in Sydney, Nova Scotia; Boston, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island; New York, New York; and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Oct 23 sailing; rates begin at $1,199 per person.
- 6-night "Maple Leaves & Mansions" from Quebec City calling in Sydney, Nova Scotia; Boston, Mass.; Newport, Rhode Island; and New York, New York. Oct 23 sailing; rates begin at $899 per person.
What Travel Agencies Are Offering
Here are some of the best deals a handful of major travel agencies are advertising this week. Cruises are capacity-controlled and offers may be withdrawn at any time. Similar deals may be available from competing online and brick-and-mortar agencies. All rates are per person for an inside cabin unless otherwise stated, and include port charges. Rates for the ultra-luxe lines may also include gratuities and some or all beverages.
Vacation Shoppe (tel. 866/7-CRUISE; www.vacationshoppe.com)
- Cunard Queen Mary 2: 7-night Transatlantic, New York to Southampton. From $999, July 19 sailing. Deal includes $150-$300 shipboard credit.
- Holland America Ryndam: 14-night eastern and western Caribbean, round-trip from Tampa. From $1,149, Jan. 2 sailing.
- Holland America Volendam: 28-night Pacific Islands and New Zealand, round-trip from Sydney. From $2,899, Jan. 2 sailing.
- NCL Norwegian Gem: 10-night eastern Caribbean, round-trip from New York. From $819, Jan. 1 sailing.
- NCL Norwegian Star: 15-night Panama Canal, Los Angeles to Miami. From $1,259, Jan. 1 sailing.
- Uniworld River Cruises River Countess: 7-night Holiday Markets, Nuremberg to Vienna. From $1,997, Dec. 7, sailing.
- Uniworld River Cruises River Queen: 7-night Rhine Holiday Markets, Cologne to Basel. From $1,667, Dec. 13 sailing.
- Celebrity Cruises Summit: 14-night New England/Canada, round-trip from Cape Liberty. From $1,299, Oct. 10 sailing.
- Celebrity Cruises Summit: 7-night Bermuda, round-trip from Cape Liberty. From $599, May 8 sailing.
- Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam: 20-night transatlantic, Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. From $1,699, Oct. 18 sailing. Deal includes $150 shipboard credit, Pinnacle Grill dining experience, champagne and strawberries, and a beverage card.
All-Travel
(tel. 866/565-3214; www.all-travel.com/cruises)- Crystal Serenity: 12-night Mediterranean, Istanbul to Barcelona. From $6,470, July 31 sailing. Deal includes free air and $2,000 per couple shipboard credit.
- Crystal Symphony: 11-night New England & Canada, New York City to Montreal. From $4,490, Sep. 19 sailing. Deal includes free air and $1,000 per couple shipboard credit.
- Celebrity Xpedition: 7-night Galapagos Islands, round-trip from Isla Baltra. From $3,354, Aug. 1 sailing. Deal includes shipboard credit worth up to 10% of your cruise fare.
- Cruise West Spirit of Oceanus: 14-night South Pacific, Lautoka to Auckland. From $7,195, Dec. 2 sailing. Deal includes $200 shipboard credit per couple.
- Holland America Amsterdam: 10-night Italy & Greece, round-trip from Rome. From $1,599, Aug. 19 sailing. Deal includes complimentary shore excursion in Kusadasi.
- Regent Voyager: 7-night Alaska, Seward to Vancouver. From $5,835, Aug. 4 sailing. Deal includes free air and free unlimited shore excursions if reserved by June 30.
- Regent Voyager: 12-night Europe, Stockholm to Southampton. From $9,720, Aug. 28 sailing. Deal includes free air and free unlimited shore excursions if reserved by June 30.
- Silversea Silver Shadow: 7-night ultra-luxe Scandinavia, round-trip from Copenhagen. From $3,638, July 16 sailing. Deal includes up to 60% savings plus free economy class airfare if reserved by June 30.
- Seabourn Sojourn: 14-night ultra-luxe Norway & Scotland, round-trip from Copenhagen. From $5,999, Aug. 8 sailing. Deal includes $500 shipboard credit per couple.
- Oceania Insignia: 15-night Atlantic, Barcelona to Rio De Janeiro. From $1,499, Dec. 6 sailing. Deal includes up to $200 spa or shipboard credit per stateroom and prepaid gratuities.
Just Cruisin' Plus (tel. 800/888-0922; www.justcruisinplus.com)
- Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam: 12-night western Mediterranean, Barcelona to Venice. From $2,099, Aug. 7, Sep. 12 sailings. Deal includes free shore excursion.
- Holland America Noordam: 10-night western Mediterranean, round-trip from Rome. From $1,599, Aug. 29, Sept. 8 & 28 sailings. Deal includes free shore excursion.
- Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam: 12-night western Mediterranean, Venice to Barcelona. From $1,999, Aug. 31, Oct. 6 sailings. Deal includes free shore excursion.
- Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas: 9-night Canada/New England, round-trip from Baltimore. From $799, Sept. 8 & 22, Oct. 22 sailings.
- Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas: 7-night southern Caribbean, round-trip from San Juan. From $499, Sept. 11 & 25, Oct. 9 & 23, Nov. 6 sailings.
- Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas: 7-night eastern Caribbean, round-trip from Port Canaveral. From $549, Sept. 11 & 25, Oct. 9 & 23, Nov. 6, Dec. 4 sailings.
- Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas: 7-night southern Caribbean, round-trip from San Juan. From $479, Sept. 18, Oct. 2, 16 and 30 sailings.
- Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas: 7-night western Caribbean, round-trip from Port Canaveral. From $549, Sep. 18, Oct. 2, 16 & 30, Nov. 13 & 27, Dec. 11 sailings.
- Princess Emerald Princess: 10-night southern Caribbean, round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. From $799, Sept. 19 sailing.
- Princess Emerald Princess: 10-night eastern Caribbean, round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. From $799, Sept. 29 sailing.
- Princess Caribbean Princess: 8-night Bermuda & eastern Caribbean, New York to San Juan. From $549, Oct. 23 sailing.
- Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas: 7-night Mexican Riviera, round-trip from Los Angeles. From $487, Nov. 7, 14 & 28 sailings.
- Princess Crown Princess: 7-night western Caribbean, round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. From $499, Nov. 27 sailing.
- Princess Ruby Princess: 7-night eastern Caribbean, round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. From $599, Nov. 28 sailing.
- Princess Caribbean Princess: 7-night southern Caribbean, round-trip from San Juan. From $499, Nov. 28 sailing.
Cruise Brothers
(tel. 800/827-7779; www.cruisebrothers.com)- Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas: 10-night Panama Canal, round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale. From $799, Nov. 12 sailing.
- Disney Wonder: 3-night Bahamas, round-trip from Port Canaveral. From $399, Sept. 23 sailing.
- Carnival Pride: 7-night Bahamas, round-trip from Baltimore. From $449, Oct. 3 sailing.
- NCL Norwegian Spirit: 7-night Caribbean, round-trip from New Orleans. From $449, Nov. 28 sailing.
- MSC Fantasia: 7-night Mediterranean, round-trip from Barcelona. From $899, Oct. 8 sailing.
- AMA Waterways Amalegro: 7-night Holland & Belgium, round-trip from Amsterdam. From $2,199, Apr. 7 sailing.
- NCL Norwegian Gem: 14-night Mediterranean, round-trip from Venice. From $1,969, Sept. 4 sailing.
- Holland America Noordam: 16-night Transatlantic, Rome/Civitavecchia to Ft. Lauderdale. From $1,199, Oct. 18 sailing.
- Carnival Splendor: 7-night Mexican Riviera, round-trip from Long Beach. From $459, Oct. 3 sailing.
- Celebrity Century: 8-night Pacific Coastal, San Diego to Vancouver. From $599, May 14 sailing.
- Uniworld River Tosca: 11-night Nile River & Egypt, round-trip from Cairo. From $3,449, Oct. 23 sailing.
Cruise Members Only
(tel. 800/999-3543; www.cruisemembersonly.com)The annual $50 membership fee is being waived for Frommers.com subscribers who mention Frommers.com when booking any cruise.
- Oceania Marina: 10-day Riviera, Barcelona to Rome/Civitavecchia. From $3,399, Apr. 16 sailing. Deal includes airfare.
- Princess Ocean Princess: 25-day West Africa, Rome/Civitavecchia to Cape Town. From $4519, Oct. 27 sailing.
- Oceania Marina: 12-day Europe, round-trip from London. From $4,799, July 29, 2011 sailing. Deal includes airfare and private cooking lessons with Chef Raymond Ost.
- Oceania Marina: 16-day Europe, London to Rome/Civitavecchia. From $5,199, Aug.10, 2011 sailing. Deal includes airfare and cooking lessons with Chef Jacques Pépin.
- NCL Norwegian Gem: 22-day Transatlantic, Venice to New York City. From $1249, Oct. 23 sailing.
- NCL Norwegian Star: 16-day Panama Canal, Los Angeles to Miami. From $919, Jan. 1, 2011 sailing.
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