Save Big With NCL This Winter

Norwegian Cruise Line is launching its new “Norwegians set SALE in Europe” promotion where customers can save up to £400 per stateroom on European and Atlantic crossings. The sale launches today (Dec 7) and is valid on sailings of six nights or more, including in peak holiday periods. Customers can make savings on bookings made until February 29, 2012.

Guests will be able to enjoy savings from a choice of four ships as Norwegian’s largest ever European deployment arrives in 2012. Sailings included in the offer are Norwegian Epic’s ‘Western Mediterranean from Barcelona’, Norwegian Spirit’s ‘Grand Mediterranean from Venice or Barcelona’, Norwegian Sun’s ‘Baltics from Copenhagen’ and Norwegian Jade’s ‘Greek Isles from Venice’.

A seven-night Western Med voyage from Barcelona, fly-cruise, on Norwegian Epic departs on various dates between April and October, sailing from Barcelona, to Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Livorno (for Florence/Pisa), Villefranche (for Nice/MonteCarlo), Marseille and back to Barcelona. It is priced from £849 per person based on an October 14 departure.

A 12-night Grand Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona fly-cruise on Norwegian Spirit also departs on various dates from April-October, sailing from Barcelona, to Toulon (for Provence), Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Mykonos, Istanbul, Izmir (Ephesus) and Venice. It is priced from £1,176 per person based on an April 28 departure.

A nine-night Baltic Capitals from Copenhagen fly-cruise on Norwegian Sun departs on various dates from May-September, sailing from Copenhagen, to Warnemunde (for Berlin), Tallinn, St Petersburg (overnight), Helsinki, Stockholm and back to Copenhagen. It is priced from £1,339 per person based on a May 13 departure.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Maiden Baltic Cruises for Star Flyer

One of our favourite cruise experiences, the blissful tall-ship style of Star Clippers, is branching out in 2012 with their 170-passenger Star Flyer sailing in the Baltic for the first time during summer 2012, offering a wide variety of voyages from two nights to 11 nights.

The highlights include:

· Special offer: A five-night voyage from Southampton to Hamburg, via Amsterdam, departing May 5, from just £999 per person, including five nights’ full board on the ship, five nights’ parking at Southampton, transfers to Hamburg airport and a return flight to Heathrow, with a private taxi transfer from Heathrow to Southampton to collect parked vehicles.

· A series of two and three-night mini-cruises out of Hamburg and Warnemunde, a German port with a great sailing tradition, to coincide with the 2012 Sailing Parade of tall ships. From £465pp for two nights in Warnemunde on August 10, including port taxes (flights extra).

· Seven-night voyages featuring the dramatic Norwegian capital Oslo, which is situated at the head of a long fjord - ideal for sail-cruising. Oslo to Copenhagen, for example, calls at Marstrand, Goteborg, Halmstad and Helsingborg in Sweden; and Kalundborg in Denmark, finishing in Copenhagen. From £1,490 for seven nights, departing Oslo May 26, including port taxes (flights extra).

· Three 10 or 11-night voyages round-trip from Stockholm, with an overnight in St Petersburg. Ports of call on the 10-night sailing departing July 21 include Visby, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, and two additional ports in Finland, Hanko and Mariehamn-Aaland. From £2,120pp for 10 nights, including port taxes (flights extra).

For more info on Star Clippers or booking details, see this link from the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Fred. Olsen's Worldwide Voyaging

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched its new worldwide brochure for 2012/13, detailing a comprehensive programme of ex-UK cruises aboard classic ships Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch. All the new cruises feature Fred. Olsen’s ‘No Fuel Surcharge Guarantee’.

The 2012/13 programme includes an enormous choice of destinations, varying in duration from a mini-cruise of just two nights to an epic world voyage of 112 nights. The itineraries feature new and exciting destinations, along with many old favourites, with departures from convenient regional British ports, Dover, Southampton, Portsmouth, Newcastle, Greenock (Glasgow) and Rosyth (Edinburgh).

Highlights include:

- A ‘Christmas Markets’ cruise aboard Black Watch, travelling to the Baltic and calling at Warnemünde (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Kiel (Germany).

- The chance to sail over 50 miles up the Guadalquivir River to Seville, in Spain.

- A return call to the newly-accessible Banjul Harbour in The Gambia, on Balmoral’s 21-night ‘West Africa and Cape Verde’ cruise.

- Three brand new destinations on Canada’s east coast – Port Saguenay, Trois Rivières and Havre St. Pierre.

- Some enticing longer cruises in 2013 – Balmoral’s new ‘Around the World’ itinerary and Black Watch’s epic cruise, down the West Coast of Africa and into the Indian Ocean.

- Another opportunity to take a Winter cruise to Norway, ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’, with Boudicca in February 2013, or to cruise into the heart of the mighty Amazon River, also aboard Boudicca, on a long (35-night) cruise in early 2013.

- Christmas 2012, when both Balmoral and Braemar will be visiting the Cape Verde Islands, as part of their festive itineraries, while Black Watch offers a real getaway, with her ex-UK ‘Caribbean Christmas’ cruise of 25 nights.

Fred. Olsen also continues to make regular enhancements to its fleet. Boudicca benefitted from a major refit in January 2011, allowing for extra cabins, smart new shopping outlets and a top-deck fitness centre. The onboard experience continues to benefit from an ever-increasing choice of activities and interests for guests to pursue. The cruise enrichment programme, Vistas (formerly The ArtsClub), has been re-launched and reinvigorated, with many distinguished new names joining the panoply of on-board experts, covering an even wider range of subjects.

Other additional attractions, on selected cruises, include ‘Flagship Golf‘, boasting even more top courses in 2012/13, and, for the best in entertainment, Fred. Olsen’s ‘Music and Laughter’; programme. This gives guests a wonderful opportunity to enjoy live music and comedy in an intimate setting, from some of the top names in the business, and all at no extra cost. Past favourites include the Divas of Motown, The Drifters and Lulu, and big names lined up for this season include The Operababes – back by popular demand – The Sounds of Boney M, featuring Sheyla Bonnick, and The Tornados – the first UK group to top the US charts, with ‘Telstar’, and original backing group to 60s legend, Billy Fury.

For more info, see www.fredolsencruises.com or contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Fred Olsen's Baltic Bonus

The Baltic is one of the most beautiful and fascinating cruise destinations for the summer, and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has two exceptional Baltic itineraries, with very competitive rates available.

Braemar’s cruise, M1114, is a 13-night voyage departing from Dover on 2nd July 2011. This is an exceptional itinerary, beginning with a transit of the Kiel Canal, bringing Braemar to Warnemünde in Germany, for excursions to Berlin. The cruise then visits two ports in Finland; first Turku, celebrating its status as a ‘European Capital of Culture’ in 2011, then the attractive, cosmopolitan capital, Helsinki, with a wealth of galleries, museums and tempting pavement cafés to enjoy. The highlight of this cruise is a two-night stay in Russia’s stunning St Petersburg, home to some of the world’s finest works of art, and some of the most stunning architecture in Europe. The extra time spent here allows visitors to immerse themselves in all the wonders of this unique city.

A similar itinerary is offered by Balmoral, on her cruise L1108, of 14 nights, departing from Southampton on 24th June 2011. This summer cruise also begins with a transit of the Kiel Canal, but continues on to visit two lovely ports in the Baltic state of Estonia. Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, and still retains many national traditions, in its architecture, costumes and dialect. The only town on the island - Kuressaare - has a lovely and well-preserved old town to explore. Next port is the better-known, and always popular, capital, Tallinn, with its beautiful architecture, domed churches and cobbled streets, before Braemar cruises on to Helsinki.

This cruise additionally offers Flagship Golf, Fred. Olsen's exclusive package for golfers. It comprises four rounds of golf, played at hand-picked courses ashore, onboard tuition from a PGA professional, practice sessions and social activity for golfers and non-playing partners, and is charged at £375 per player. Flagship Golf must be pre-booked.

For more info, visit www.fredolsencruises.com or contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

From Russia With Love - With Royal Caribbean

Head to some of Northern Europe’s most historical ports on Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas (above) this summer, where a 12-night Scandinavia & Russia cruise-only costs from just £1,296.00 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

This price includes a 12-night cruise-only departing Harwich and calling at Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Gothenburg before returning to Harwich; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on May 30 departure.

For more information, visit http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/ or contact specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

Cabin Upgrades on Offer

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Want to do something different in 2011 and fancy some extra savings? Hurtigruten has launched a special offer giving free cabin upgrades on selected voyages spread across a wide variety of cabin categories for anyone booking by March 31.

Available on specific Spitsbergen and European voyages, the offer enables you to book and pay for a cabin and then enjoy an upgrade into the next cabin grade for free.

Offer applies to:

6-Day Spitsbergen Polar Encounters – 31 July and 4 August – from £2283pp for a voyage around the northwest coast of Spitsbergen. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £110pp, five nights’ full board on the ship and return flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Based on two sharing,

9-Day Spitsbergen Polar Encounters – 17 August – from £2830pp for a voyage around the whole west coast of Spitsbergen. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £160pp, seven nights’ full board on the ship, one night’s B&B in Longyearbyen and return flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Based on two sharing.

9-Day Spring in Western Europe – 7 April – from £1031pp – calling at Lisbon, Porto, La Coruna, Bordeaux, Sark, Guernsey, Honfleur and Dover. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £240pp, eight nights’ full board and transfer from Dover to London Heathrow. Based on two sharing.

11 Day Pearls of the Baltic Sea – 25 April – from £2511pp – calling at Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Gudhjem and returning to Oslo. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £220pp, 10 nights’ full board and transfer from Dover to London Heathrow. Based on two sharing.

8 Day Climate Voyage – 21 July – from £2603pp – a special voyage, themed around climate change from Iceland to Spitsbergen via one of the world’s most isolate islands – Jan Mayen. Price includes and upgrade from N to U cabin worth £130pp, seven nights’ full board on the ship, return flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo. Based on two sharing,

For more information, visit Hurtigruten's website or call the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Free Cabin Upgrades in 2011 with Hurtigruten

By guest blogger Steve Newman.

Hurtigruten is offering a free cabin upgrade on selected voyages spread across a wide variety of cabin categories for anyone booking between January 1 and March 31 in 2011. Available on specific Spitsbergen and European voyages, the offer allows customers to book and pay for a cabin and then enjoy an upgrade into the next cabin grade for free.

Offer applies to :

6-Day Spitsbergen Polar Encounters – July 31 and August 4; from £2283pp for a voyage around the north-west coast of Spitsbergen. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £110pp, five nights’ full board on the ship and return flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Based on two sharing,

9-Day Spitsbergen Polar Encounters – August 17; from £2830pp for a voyage around the whole west coast of Spitsbergen. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £160pp, seven nights’ full board on the ship, one night’s B&B in Longyearbyen and return flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Based on two sharing.

9-Day Spring in Western Europe – April 7; from £1031pp, calling at Lisbon, Porto, La Coruna, Bordeaux, Sark, Guernsey, Honfleur and Dover. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £240pp, eight nights’ full board and transfer from Dover to London Heathrow. Based on two sharing.

11-Day Pearls of the Baltic Sea – April 25; from £2511pp, calling at Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Gudhjem and returning to Oslo. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £220pp, 10 nights’ full board and transfer from Dover to London Heathrow. Based on two sharing.

8-Day Climate Voyage – July 21; from £2603pp, a special voyage, themed around climate change from Iceland to Spitsbergen via one of the world’s most isolate islands – Jan Mayen. Price includes upgrade from N to U cabin worth £130pp, seven nights’ full board on the ship, return flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo. Based on two sharing,

For more information, visit http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or check with the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Exodus Now Has 16 Different Polar Itineraries

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Exodus is now the largest operator of small-ship polar expeditions in the UK, with voyages to Spitsbergen and Antarctica from £4,139 (with flights from UK).

If a holiday is not a holiday without experiencing something remarkable, then Exodus’ Polar itineraries are where you need to start looking for your next great escape. If you prefer your ice blue, towering 70m above your head and set in temperatures way below zero instead of crushed in a mojito, then you had better get your trip booked in.

Now the largest operator of small-ship polar expeditions, Exodus’ new 2010-2012 Polar Expeditions brochure is full of trips to Antarctica, Spitsbergen and the Arctic Circle and, while ranging in price, they are all awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime expeditions you are guaranteed never to forget.

Exodus’ Paul Goldstein, an expert guide, wildlife photographer and polar enthusiast, will be hosting a number of the expeditions and is no stranger to the beauty and wilderness of the Polar Regions. He says: “From Spitsbergen adventures, Emperor Penguin Safaris and Antarctic Circle tours, Exodus offers once-in-a-lifetime Polar Expeditions.

"No-one arrives in the Poles by accident and those intrepid enough to cross the Drake Passage or stay up till the early hours in 24-hour Arctic daylight are never short-changed. The Polar Regions are perhaps the last pristine wildernesses left on the planet but your experience of them depends entirely on the ship chosen to take you there. Choose Exodus and you choose the best.”

Check out these two sample voyages:

Spitsbergen Explorer: 12 days (11 days ship-only) from £4,139 including flights; next departure dates are June 16 and 26, 2011. Exclusive departures with photographic specialists are on June 16 and July 16.

Part of the popular Polar Expeditions brochure is the great exploration of Spitsbergen - home to Polar bears, walrus, Arctic foxes and huge colonies of seabirds. There is 24-hour daylight this far north in the summer and Exodus plans to maximise this from the decks of the 100-berth Vavilov or Ioffe.

Easily maneuverable around the ice, these ships are perfect for such adventures and have the added advantage that passengers can be in inflatable Zodiacs in the water at just a few minutes notice – watching a Polar bear and her cubs playing in the ice or perhaps sailing in the same space as a 150-ton whale. Any photographic or wildlife fan should seriously consider these departures, which are guided by award-winning photographer and Polar enthusiast Paul Goldstein.

Journey to the North Pole - 15 days (12 days ship-only) from £16,260 (flight prices on request). The next and only departure in 2011 is June 23.

With only one departure a year and only one ship capable of offering this stunning itinerary – reaching the top of the world aboard the unique icebreaker 50 Years of Victory – this is a rare and rewarding trip which is worth every penny. Travel to the North Pole and, en route, discover polar bears and stunning birdlife, plus visit the fascinating cities of Helsinki in Finland and Murmansk in Russia.

It is a trip that combines the raw power of the ship – cutting through ice metres thick – the use of helicopter flights for aerial viewing and Zodiac landings for intimate wildlife encounters, this is an expedition unlike any other.

To book, visit http://www.exodus.co.uk/. or try the specialist agent The Cruise Line Ltd at http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/.

Photo © Paul Goldstein/Exodus Travels.

Sojourn's Southampton Debut

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Seabourn Sojourn, The Yachts of Seabourn’s newest deluxe ship, is making its debut in Southampton on April 27, 2011. The Port of Southampton will be the second UK port to feature a visit from Sojourn and is the final stop on its 111-day grand World Cruise from Los Angeles.

The ultra-chic vessel also represents the first luxury cruising-yacht to sail into and depart from Southampton in 2011. On the same day it arrives, Sojourn also sets sail on its round-trip Mediterranean Sojourn I & II itinerary, arriving back in the UK on May 14. The following day, Sojourn makes its final departure for the year from the famous south coast port, headed for Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.

Itineraries including Southampton:

MAIDEN VOYAGE WORLD CRUISE SEGMENT VOYAGE
15th – 27th April 2011; 12 Days
Rome – Southampton
Ports of call: Rome, Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena, Lisbon, Bordeaux and Southampton;
cruise-only fares from £3,099 per person

MEDITERRANEAN SOJOURN I & II
27th April 2011 – 14th May 2011; 18 Days
Southampton round-trip
Ports of call: Southampton, Vigo, Gibraltar, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Rome, Florence, Alicante, Lisbon, Porto and Southampton; cruise-only fares from £5,399 per person (including car parking at Southampton)

BALTIC SOJOURN
15th – 25th May 2011; 10 Days
Southampton – Copenhagen
Ports of call: Southampton, Stockholm, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Copenhagen; cruise-only fares from £3,899 per person

All fares are based on double occupancy and two people sharing a grade A Seabourn suite, including in-resort transfers, fully inclusive cruise, all fine dining, open bar, fully stocked mini-bar, tips and gratuities onboard.

Sojourn is the second of Seabourn's award-winning Odyssey-class vessels and accommodates guests in 225 spacious suites, 90 per cent of which have private verandas. Top-of-the-range staterooms include the Wintergarden Suites with private solarium and veranda, and Signature Suites with sweeping verandas and unrivalled views facing forward. The two-deck, state-of-the-art Spa at Seabourn features a Spa Villa that can be privately reserved, as well as a Kneipp Walk, herbal bath facility and an aroma steam bath with salt inhalation. The yacht offers four dining venues and six bars and lounges serving a full range of beverages, including fine wines and spirits with Seabourn’s compliments.

For further information, visit http://www.seabourn.com/ or http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/seabourn-cruises/.

Yachts of Seabourn are also exhibitnig at The Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17 and at London's Olympia from March 26-27 in 2011.

A Russian Odyssey (plus Scandinavia!)

By guest blogger Steve Newman

After the demise of the Soviet Union there has been a renaissance in the cities of the Baltic and, as such, the area is becoming ever more popular as a cruising destination. From medieval architectural styles to modern, world-renowned museums and theatre to excellent shopping, gentle rolling hills and dramatic towering fjords, an amazing adventure awaits you around every corner.

Now there is the opportunity to see not only these ancient trading cities but explore the famous architecture, winding canals and local Russian culture with Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas on a twelve-night Scandinavia and Russia cruise from just £1,326 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

As a ship, Jewel (above) has a guest capacity of 2, 501 and has a lot going for her. Amongst the spectacular features are the 10-storey Centrum glass lifts facing the sea, and the highest percentage of outside staterooms in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

The cruise begins and ends at Harwich and takes in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki.
A full day is in store at St Petersburg, with famous palaces and museums including The Hermitage, one of the world's greatest treasures, which features more than 3 million exhibits. The most European-influenced city in Russia, St Petersburg is also the most spectacular. Finally, the voyage calls at Tallinn, Estonia, and Gothenburg in Sweden.

Price is based on 23 June 2011 departure. For more information or to book, see http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/

Royal Caribbean are also exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham in October.