Amazing Prices With Regent For 2012

For travellers looking for a truly all-inclusive cruise at unbelievable value in the Mediterranean next spring, Christmas may well have arrived early as six-star ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced some extraordinary fares on three voyages in 2012.

Sailing on the line’s all-suite, all-balcony vessels Seven Sea Voyager and Mariner, the cruises include free flights and transfers, overnights in ancient cities including Safaga, Haifa and Istanbul, as well as all onboard dining, beverages and gratuities.

And, with the privilege of unlimited shore excursions in every port, these itineraries boast up to 38 free excursions for guests to choose from to further enhance their cruise experience. The fares for a Deluxe Balcony Suite on a 10-night Med cruise now start from just £2,153 per person.

Details of the three voyages are: Seven Seas Voyager, Dubai to Athens (17 nights), departing March 30 and calling at Muscat, Salalah, Luxor (from Safaga), Petra, Sharm El Sheikh, Cairo, Ashdod and Haifa; Seven Seas Mariner, Barcelona to Istanbul and Tarragona to Istanbul, departing April 2 and 30 (10 nights) and calling at Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Capri/Sorrento, Taormina, Santorini and Ephesus.

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

The Nostalgic Nile with Bales Worldwide

The late 19th century aristocracy of Europe would delight in cruising along the ancient splendours of the Nile Valley in their private ‘dahabiyyas,’ beautifully crafted wooden sailing vessels that presented the might of the Pharaohs from the vantage point of elegant convenience.

And Bales Worldwide have recreated those halcyon days, travelling with a small select group to witness the ancient treasures of Egypt up close and in a manner thought lost forever by discerning travellers. Avoiding the usual crowds and boats guests have the advantage of an expert guide on hand at all times. Completing the entire journey between Luxor and Aswan (or vice versa), on any of the 4 exclusive Dahabiyyas, also provides the opportunity to truly relax, with 7 nights onboard to fully appreciate this classic journey.

The Nostalgic Nile - Luxor-Aswan from £1,595 (saving up to £600pp)

This 12-day itinerary includes scheduled flights and accommodation on The Amber, a traditional ‘dahabiyya’. Trip includes English-speaking guides on board who will also take care of tipping, private air-conditioned vehicle for transfers, a sightseeing itinerary (including entrance fees), and exclusive ‘dahabiyya’ cruise. Prices are per person based on two adults travelling and sharing on a mixed board basis. Price includes all applicable UK and overseas airport taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Prices are based on December 14 departure date.

To book, visit www.balesworldwide.com or the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Regent Offer Four New Early Winter Voyages

Regent Seven Sea’s free and unlimited shore excursion programme is designed to bring out the best of each destination and provide a carefully considered and safe way to explore off the beaten track destinations. Sailing on the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager, where guests are one of only a few hundred, the line has announced four new cruises taking in the best of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, enabling guests to experience free excursions to some of the world’s holiest and most ancient cities.



The four new itineraries include calls to fascinating ports such as Ephesus, Safaga and Haifa as well as a transit of the Suez Canal and extended overnight stays at Ashdod and Petra, to provide an unforgettable east-meets-west experience. Choose from:

Luxor to Limassol: 8 nights, Nov 12

Calling at Petra (overnight), Sharm El Sheikh, transit Suez Canal, Ashdod (overnight), Haifa, Limassol. Balcony Suite from £ 2,675 per person.

Limassol to Barcelona: 8 nights, Nov 20

Calling at Alanya, Rhodes, Ephesus, Valletta, Barcelona (overnight). Balcony Suite from £2,350 per person.

Barcelona to Ashdod: 8 nights, November 28

Calling at Barcelona, Valletta, Rhodes, Limassol, Haifa, Ashdod (overnight). Balcony Suite from £2,330 per person.



Ashdod to Dubai: 13 nights, Dec 6

Calling at Suez Canal (transit), Luxor (overnight), Petra (overnight), Cruise the Red Sea/Arabian Sea, Salalah (Oman), Port Qaboos (Oman), Dubai. Balcony Suite from £3,343 per person.



As the most all-inclusive luxury cruise line, fares include: free return flights on every cruise (or free Business Class flights on all Med sailings in suites C-MS), free unlimited shore excursions in every port, transfers and government/port taxes, concierge amenities, all fine dining including speciality restaurants, all drinks and beverages including fine wines, selected Champagnes, premium branded soft drinks, all onboard activities, 24-hour room service and in-suite dining.

For more info, visit www.rssc.com or contact the UK's specialist luxury-cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Voyage Through The Red Sea

Zegrahm's brand-new Voyage through the Red Sea expedition has been named one of National Geographic Traveler magazine’s “Best Tours of a Lifetime” for 2011 and is one of those experiences well worth seeking out in the cruise world today.

Here's how the tour works:

You explore Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, including the company's first-time visits to the lesser-traveled countries of Sudan and Eritrea. The November 6-22 itinerary is the perfect time to explore this seat of the world’s earliest civilisations with pleasant temperatures ranging from 55 to 85°F and a stable, yet fascinating political environment where a new chapter in the region’s history has literally unfolded within the last year (plus, this comes with the added bonus of fewer crowds at some of the region’s most popular tourist sites).

The voyage combines the Red Sea’s best cultural attractions along with several opportunities to engage in the region’s natural history with snorkeling and diving excursions. Among the many highlights of this award-winning expedition, guests will have the opportunity to:

• Explore the rose-coloured wonders of Petra, the capital of the ancient Nabatean Empire and now a World Heritage Site—even enjoying a candle-lit nighttime walk through the Siq to the Treasury

• Overnight in Luxor, often considered the “world’s greatest open air museum,” to explore its various monuments, temples, and tombs

• Cruise along the Nile in a traditional felucca sailing vessel, savouring lunch and views of the countryside along the way

• Enjoy a walking tour of Jeddah’s well-preserved old city, considered the gateway to Mecca

• Take in traditional daily life as the tour wanders the pathways connecting the old, coral-block buildings of Suakin, Sudan—a major trading stop en route to Mecca

• And snorkel and dive in the shimmering waters of Eritrea’s Dahlak Archipelago, an area renowned for its rich marine life and scenic beauty.

For more info, visit www.zeco.com or contact the UK's leading adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

The Sphinx Is Calling Again For Uniworld

After a break to avoid the heat of high summer, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises resume their 2011 Egypt itineraries in September, with a new more luxurious hotel partner in Cairo – the Four Seasons Nile Plaza.

Departures for the 12-day Splendours of the Nile experience start on September 3 and will feature two nights in Cairo at both the beginning and the end of the 7-day cruise, staying at the hotel which is located on the Corniche on the banks of the Nile, affording panoramic views across the river to the island of Zamalek and beyond, or towards the 12th-century Citadel. It boasts 10 restaurants and lounges offering a variety of international cuisine and also a state-of-the-art spa, the largest of its kind in the city, with 14 treatment rooms including a couple's treatment room, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, cold plunge, a serene relaxation area and indoor swimming pool. It also has three outdoor pools.

The hotel matches the level of comfort and service that guests can expect on board the River Tosca, which is where guests will spend 7 nights of the itinerary, sailing the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. Highlights of the whole itinerary include a visit to the Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the pyramids of Giza and the enigmatic Sphinx as well as the Karnak and Luxor Temples in Luxor, and Temple of Hathor in Dendera, one of Egypt’s best preserved temples. No trip to Egypt would be complete without a visit to the Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple as well as Aswan’s gems, such as the High Dam, the Philae Temple and the Botanical Gardens. Throughout all this, you’ll be accompanied by highly skilled and knowledgeable Egyptologists, as well as a host of supporting guides.

The River Tosca is an intimate all-suite ship, with a capacity for 82 guests, blending old world elegance with modern amenities. Each beautifully appointed suite has a French balcony and comes kitted with iPod docking stations, flat screen TVs and both a bathtub and shower in the private bathrooms. The public areas include a stylish lounge with full-service bar, a cosy library, elegant restaurant, sundeck with cabanas and a swimming pool, plus a fully equipped gym and massage room.

For more info, visit www.uniworldrivercruises.co.uk or contact the river-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Zegrahm Expeditions - "Tours of a Lifetime"

Zegrahm Expeditions has been selected for National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s “Tours of a Lifetime” honour for the second time, highlighting the company's keen eye for superb adventure travel.

In the past, the honours have been bestowed upon Zegrahm's natural history-focused expeditions — Beyond Rapa Nui, Ultimate Seychelles, and Faces of Melanesia — but, this year, they are excited to announce the award has been bestowed uopn a new, in-depth cultural tour: Voyage Through the Red Sea. This 17-day expedition, aboard the Clipper Odyssey, departs November 6 and visits Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Eritrea.

This voyage combines the Red Sea’s best cultural attractions along with several opportunities to snorkel and dive, plus offers a rare glimpse into a number of hospitable countries rarely visited by Western travellers. Highlights of this tour include:

• Exploring the rose-colored wonders of Petra, the capital of the ancient Nabatean Empire and now a World Heritage Site.

• Cruising along the Nile in a traditional felucca sailing vessel.

• Visiting several exquisite World Heritage Sites in Egypt — the Monastery of St. Catherine (above) and the treasures of ancient Thebes, including Luxor, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings.

• Walking tour of Jeddah’s well-preserved old city, considered the gateway to Mecca.

• Snorkelling and diving in the shimmering waters of the Dahlak Archipelago, an area renowned for its rich marine life and scenic beauty.

To learn more about this voyage, visit www.zeco.com or contact the UK's adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

New Nile Cruising Pocket Guide

By guest blogger Steve Newman

The brand new Nile Cruising Pocket Guide (£5.99) is to be published on January 31 by Berlitz, the publishers of the annual Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships. The Nile guide provides a wealth of information on exploring the River Delta and recommends a slow and leisurely cruise on a felucca to gain a deeper understanding of Egyptian culture and of the many communities that thrive within a few metres of the riverbank.

The Pocket Guide outlines the selection of Nile River cruises available, listing sites that can be seen on each, with map references. Among the cruises are Luxor to Edfu, the quieter stretch from Edfu to Aswan - home of the Aga Khan Mausoleum - and Lake Nasser, with her barren but beautiful sandy-coloured mountains.

Suggestions are given for choosing the right cruise, along with an outline of a typical day aboard, including early starts to avoid the mid-day heat.

There are also helpful onboard hints and traveller tips, from security precautions through to learning about the fascinating Sufi spinners who accompany the musicians.

A large section of the Nile Cruising Pocket Guide is devoted to exploring Luxor, the start and end point for many of the Nile Cruises, with its myriad of famous sites from the Valley of the Kings to Karnak and the less well-known Mummification Museum. A double-page spread offers recommendations on how to spend ‘A perfect day’ in Luxor – beginning with a balloon flight, crossing over to the east bank for shopping in the souqs, taking a felucca ride along the Nile as the sun slowly sets behind the Valley of the Kings, and ending the day with a ride in a horse-drawn calèche to Karnak Temple.

There are recommendations for sports and outdoor activities including ballooning, camel and donkey trekking, as well as bowling and golf. Entertainment listings include tips on shopping – advising on the fun that can be had from haggling. There are details on eating out – what, where and how much to pay – as well as drinking, and the delights of smoking a sheesha (hubble-bubble) water pipe.

The Nile Cruising Berlitz Pocket Guide is written by Egypt specialist Chris Bradley and is available from bookshops or online at http://www.berlitzpublishing.com/, priced £5.99.

For further information on Nile Cruises, contact the river-cruise specialists of the Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Costa Starts Cruising The Red Sea

Here's an interesting press release from Costa Cruises this week, with news of new destinations:

Two Costa ships to depart weekly from Sharm El Sheikh in a first for the cruise industry

Costa Marina and Costa Allegra have new departures from Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, visiting Cairo, the Negev Desert (Israel) and Petra (Jordan) for the first time in an exclusive winter 2010/2011 itinerary.

Costa Cruises is offering new one-week cruises in the Red Sea departing from Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the entire 2010/2011 winter season. The Red Sea, along with the Far East, the Arab Emirates and the Indian Ocean, will become yet another destination where Costa offers a regular cruise service.

Costa Marina (25,600 gross tonnage and a capacity of 1,000 guests) and Allegra (28,400 gross tonnage and a capacity of 1,000 guests) will depart from November 25, 2010, to February 17, 2011 and November 29, 2010, to March 21, 2011, respectively. The unique itineraries include Egypt, Israel and Jordan, and call at Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), Eilat (Israel), Aqaba (Jordan), Luxor-Safaga (Egypt) and Cairo-Sokhna (Egypt).

Both ships will call weekly in Sharm el Sheikh, making a total of 38 calls and transporting a total of 60,000 passengers over the winter months.

The itineraries of Marina and Allegra combine both relaxation and culture from one shore of the Red Sea to the other. Passengers on the Red Sea voyages can expect to experience incredibly beautiful sea vistas and cultural and archaeological treasures.

From Eilat, guests can take Costa excursions to a natural oasis in the Negev Desert , the fortress of Masada or the incredible landscapes of the Dead Sea . At Aqaba, guests can visit the pink city of Petra, carved into the mountains. In Safaga there is the option to enjoy excursions to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, visit the tombs of the Pharaohs, observe the natural wonders of Hurghada and visit the crystalline waters of the island of Mahamya. From Sokhna, excursions visit the grand pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

With spectacular architecture, Costa Marina and Allegra are ideal for Red Sea cruises, as the beautiful panoramic circular glass wall of the stern allows for breathtaking sea views. Onboard, guests can enjoy a myriad of facilities including restaurants, bars, wellness and fitness centres, treatment rooms and saunas, swimming pools, outdoor jogging tracks, theatres, casinos, discotheques, shopping centres and internet access points.

For more information or to book, go to www.costacruises.co.uk or call 0845 351 0552, or try the specialist cruise travel agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 7766.

Sailing with the Pharaohs

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Cruising in style and luxury with the ambience of a bygone age is a delight to be experienced as much as possible. The late 19th century aristocracy of Europe would partake in cruising along the ancient splendours of the Nile Valley in their private ‘Dahabiyyas,’ beautifully crafted wooden sailing vessels that presented the might of the Pharaohs from the vantage point of elegant convenience. Now Bales Worldwide have recreated those halcyon days with their best-selling itinerary.

Travelling with a small select group, you can witness the ancient treasures of Egypt up close and in a manner thought lost forever by discerning travellers. Avoiding the crowds you have the advantage of an expert guide on hand to enlighten you along the way.

Completing the entire journey between Luxor and Aswan (or vice versa) by boat also provides the opportunity to truly relax, with 7 nights onboard to fully appreciate this classic journey. The cruise will operate either from Luxor to Aswan or in the reverse direction. You will be booked on one of the 4 exclusive Dahabiyyas to Bales: Amber, Musk, Nesma and Zahra. All the Dahabiyyas are identical with the exception of the décor.

The company also offers luxury holidays to more than 50 countries, including Canada, China, Egypt, Ecuador & the Galapagos islands, India, Jordan, Peru and Tanzania. These can be a select journey where you have local guides or a tailor-made holiday of your making.

You can find out more at http://www.balesworldwide.com/

From the Nile to Damascus

By guest blogger Steve Newman

The Middle East has long been a magnet for those who wish to combine cruising with the study of ancient civilisations. Take this tradition with a combined land-and-cruise journey and you really have the chance to get under the skin of these places and their cultures, both past and present.

In March next year, discerning travellers have the chance to take a six-night cruise in the Red Sea combined with land elements to visit some of the most impressive ancient ruins on Earth for an amazing 17-day journey.

Organised in typical exemplary style by Noble Caledonia, the trip starts with three nights in Cairo with trips to the Pyramids and other famous historical sites before you board the MS Island Sky for the cruise from Suez to Aqaba. The ship underwent a complete refurbishment in May and I can thoroughly recommend her as a superb vessel for this type of cruise having sailed on her myself recently.

Calling in at Safaga, a journey through the desert brings you to Luxor for a two-day excursion that also includes the Valley of the Kings. Amazingly, the best is yet to come as, after disembarking at Aqaba, the wonder of the orange and red sands of the desert of Wadi Rum are visited in Jordan, followed by a two-night stay at Petra (above) the "Rose red city, older than time."

Floating in the Dead Sea at its marvellous resort that drips luxury and exclusiveness, walking through Amman and sitting in wonder on the steps of the theatres in the ancient Roman city of Jerash are all followed by the fascination of the Mosques and Orthodox churches of Damascus.

How's that for true Middle Eastern magnificence?

For more information, look up http://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/