March 11, 2004 -- We've got the latest on the opening of Libyan ports, D-Day Anniversary itineraries, ventures on the Great Lakes and more in this roundup.
Clipper Schedules First Cruises to Libya
Following the U.S. State Department's recent decision to lift restrictions on American travel to Libya, small-ship line Clipper (800/325-0010, www.clippercruise.com) announced this week that its 122-passenger Clipper Adventurer would offer a 15-day "Antiquities of North Africa and the Italian Mediterranean" cruise in May 2005. Sailing from Lisbon to Rome, the cruise will call at Tripoli; Tangier, Morocco; and Tunis, Tunisia; then head into the European Med with stops in Valetta, Malta; Porto Empedocle and Syracuse, Sicily; and Sorrento, Italy.
Built in 1975 in the former Yugoslavia as the Alla Tarasova, the Adventurer was acquired and renamed by Clipper in 1997 and sent to Denmark's Fredericia Skibsvaerft A.S. Shipyard for a massive $13 million refit that turned her into one of the most appealing vessels in the small-ship market. With an interior that has the feel of an old-time passenger ship and an A-1 ice-hardened hull that allows her to sail practically anywhere, the Adventurer gets a big, big Frommer's thumbs-up. Prices were not available at press time.
Oceania To Sail D-Day Anniversary Cruise
New premium line Oceania has just announced a 14-night cruise timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of World War II's D-day invasion. Departing May 31 from Lisbon, Portugal, the line's 684-passenger Insignia will call at St. Malo and Honfleur, France, on June 6 and 7, then sail on to ports in Ireland, Belgium, and the U.K. Lecturing onboard will be military historian Brigadier General Stanley Ulanoff and other unannounced military experts.
Prices currently start at $2,499 per person, with economy air from select U.S. and Canadian gateways starting at $550.
For information and bookings, contact Oceania at 800/531-5658 or www.oceaniacruises.com.
New Ship To Sail The Great Lakes This Summer
Until the mid-1960s, the Great Lakes were popular summer waters for older U.S.- and Canadian-flagged ships, but when those ships went out of service, they took the lakes' cruise industry with them. In the late 1990s, though, a few cruise lines began adding lake cruises to their itineraries, among them the German line Hapag-Lloyd, which brought its 420-passenger cruise ship M/V Columbus here in 1997. This was the inspiration for the start-up of the Great Lakes Cruise Company (888-891-0203, www.greatlakescruising.com), which now charters several vessels and also handles bookings for virtually all of the Great Lakes cruise ships, sailing from June to October.
Recently, the company announced the newest vessel in the lake fleet, the 106-passenger, German-built Orion, which sailed its maiden voyage this past November. The vessel will offer eight 9-day cruises this season, each one hitting all five of the Great Lakes. It joins five other vessels in these waters, including Hapag-Lloyd's Columbus, the 95-passenger French ship Le Levant, two of American Canadian Caribbean Line's small ships, and Clipper's 100-passenger Nantucket Clipper. Great Lakes Cruise Co. also handles cruises aboard the 66-passenger replica steamboat Canadian Empress, sailing the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, and day trips aboard the two-masted tall ship Highlander Sea, based at Port Huron, Michigan.Cruises call at various lake ports and scenic areas. Prices for Orion's 7-night itineraries start at $4,495 per person, including all shore excursions and tours and a one-night stay at Montreal's Ritz-Carlton.
Crystal Symphony Goes Under The Knife
The 1995-built 940-passenger luxury ship is scheduled for a thorough refurbishment in April, when she spends three weeks in a dry dock in Portugal. The $12 million facelift (decidedly more than most passengers have spent on their own) will include a completely new and expanded spa, with a Feng Shui touch. The changes include a brand new private canopied teak sun deck and more treatment rooms. The new gym will be larger and now offer a separate room for the line's complimentary yoga, Pilates, aerobic and personal training classes. The space for the line's impressive Computer University@Sea program will also be expanded, with an area to accommodate a 25-seat classroom and an adjacent area for emailing and web surfing. An intimate dining room seating groups of 12, called the Vintage Room and first launched on the Serenity, will also be created for the line's special wine and champagne theme dinners and other events. Other areas being spruced up include the main dining room (which will now have dark paneling, and new chairs, window treatments and carpeting), library, photo shop, public restrooms, and all penthouse, suites and standard stateroom accommodations.
Contact Crystal Cruises at 800/820-6663 or www.crystalcruises.com
Carnival Gets Deep
The fun-ship line is getting serious about spiritual fitness. In partnership with Shape and Men's Fitness magazines, the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph will host a "Mind/Body Cruise" during its October 9, 2004, eastern Caribbean cruise. Expert-led workshops, activities and talks will focus on tai chi, yoga, strength training, diet, relationships and nutrition techniques. Activities on the roster include "Shaping Your Goals," geared to help participants develop a nutritional profile, and "Shaping Your Mother/Daughter Relationship," offering effective methods to further enhance the parent/child bond. Rates start at $699 per person based on double occupancy.
Carnival Cruise Lines: tel. 800/327-9501, www.carnivalcruise.com
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