It's A New York Breakaway

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new state-of-the-art 4,000 passenger ship, Norwegian Breakaway will sail from her year-round home port of New York City to the Bahamas, Florida and the Caribbean during her inaugural winter season next year.

Following a summer inaugural season sailing seven-night cruises from New York to Bermuda, Breakaway will embark on a series of 25 seven-night cruises to the Bahamas & Florida beginning on October 13, 2013. The ship will also sail two 12-night Southern Caribbean itineraries on January 5 and 19, 2014. 

Her ports of call will include stops in Nassau, NCL's private island in the Bahamas, (Great Stirrup Cay) and Port Canaveral in Florida along with three relaxing days at sea. These sailings run to April 27, 2014.

The ship’s 12-night Southern Caribbean cruises weill include Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Kitts, along with five sea days. Currently under construction at Meyer Werft in Germany, Breakaway will be 144,017 gross tons and is scheduled for delivery in April 2013.

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

Big Autmn Savings With Crystal

As if Crystal Cruises’ autumn sale wasn’t big enough already, the ultra-luxury cruise operator is offering even greater savings on its 25th October New York to Miami Caribbean cruise with prices for this 12-night voyage starting from as little £3,723 per person – a saving of £498 per person.

Crystal’s “Pink Sands and White Beaches” voyage begins with a scenic sail-away from New York followed by visits to Bermuda, St Maarten, Antigua, Aruba and the Cayman Islands. Throughout, guests will be stimulated and enriched with an array of complimentary workshops and classes:



A “Digital Filmmaking” theme offers camera buffs hands-on tutelage in travel video production from Travel Channel Academy founders throughout the sailing. News junkies will relish insights from Shelby Coffee, formerly editor of the LA Times, president of CNN Business News and executive vice president of ABC News. Veteran US State Department Senior Foreign Service Officer, Robert Warne, will enthral world affairs enthusiasts with his vast experience in international economics. Animal lovers can help care for stray donkeys via Crystal’s free “You Care, We Care” voluntourism excursion in Antigua.



Prices include return scheduled flights, transfers, 12 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window with all meals and soft drinks, port taxes and a $500 per person onboard credit.



For further information, visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk or contact the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Silversea's Atlantic Luxury

This week's cruise deals are rolling in thick and fast (about five per day at the current rate!), and here is one that is definitely worth highlighting for those who like the genuine luxury lifestyle at sea:

Join Silversea Cruises on a nine-day Atlantic voyage from just £2,843 per person (only £315 per day) on an all-inclusive basis, including complimentary flights. Departing October 11 from New York, Silver Whisper calls at Halifax (Canada); St. John (New Brunswick, Canada); Bar Harbor (Maine, USA); Portland (Maine, USA); Boston and Newport (Rhode Island, USA) before arriving back at New York.

All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a Vista Suite and include complimentary return economy class air, port charges, government fees and taxes.

For more info, visit www.silversea.com or the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Immerse Yourself In New England With Crystal

To celebrate the wonders of New England and Canada, Crystal Cruises has announced details of some fabulous Crystal Adventures focusing on the neighbouring countries’ early histories and architecture. These shore excursions span four 10- or 11-night Crystal Symphony (above) sailings between New York and Montréal in September and October, and include a dozen new historical experiences.

The Crystal Adventures excursions, which can be enjoyed as group or “Private Adventure Options,” include:

Boston

Plymouth Rock - 1627 pilgrim village life, plus the Mayflower.
American Revolution Revisited - Boston, Lexington and Concord, where America’s independence began (and authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau lived).
Marblehead and Salem - Federal architecture, Yankee Doodle painting and the Salem witch trials.

New York

Brooklyn Bridge - Construction tales of this 19th century engineering marvel animate a 1.5-mile bridge walk.

Bar Harbor

Victorian Era Stroll - Costumed guides, period “cottages” and accounts of extravagant parties from yesteryear.

Newport

Colonial Historic District - This formerly rundown neighbourhood of 18th century and Georgian houses became a model of historic preservation.
Gilded Era Mansions - Homes of the 19th century’s wealthiest Americans, including the Astors’ Beechwood and Vanderbilts’ Marble House and Breakers, with period family and staff lookalikes.

St John

Geopark by Foot - Some of Canada’s most architecturally important streetscapes, many built from ancient stone.

Halifax

Afternoon Tea at the Citadel - Victorian tea at the former seat of British control over North America.
Lighthouse and Lobsters - Lobster lunch and drive through the “Lighthouse Route” (150 lighthouses).

Montréal and Québec

Foot, Coach, or Horse-drawn Carriage Tours - Highlights include neo-Gothic structures and historically-preserved neighbourhoods.

Prices for Crystal's New England & Canada voyages start from just £3,619 per person (based on the October 14th 12-night fly/cruise from Montreal to New York) including return economy flights with British Airways, overseas transfers, one-night pre-cruise hotel stay in Montreal, 10 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window including all meals and soft drinks, port taxes and a $500 per person onboard credit.

For more info, visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk or contact the UK's luxury cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd.

PS: You can also see Issue 50 of World of Cruising for a full review of a typical Crystal Canada & New England voyage by editor Simon Veness last year.

Join History’s Finest with Silversea Cruises

Silversea welcomes renowned historical advisor Alastair Bruce on their transatlantic voyage to New York this autumn.

Historical advisor for the Oscar-nominated box-office spectacular The King’s Speech and hit television series Downton Abbey, guest lecturer Mr Bruce will offer fellow guests on Silver Whisper a unique behind-the-scenes view of British royal life.

Bruce is the author of numerous books on British royalty and a commentator for Britain's Sky News and the BBC. Historical advisor to the award-winning The Young Victoria, he is also a documentary filmmaker.

Silversea is offering the transoceanic cruise from £3,643 per person, on an all-inclusive basis. Join the 14-day voyage on Silver Whisper departing September 7 from Southampton and calling at Fowey (Cornwall); Waterford); Cobh (Cork, Ireland); St John’s (Newfoundland, Canada); Sydney (Nova Scotia, Canada); Halifax (Canada); and Newport (Rhode Island, USA) before arriving at New York.

All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a Vista Suite and include flights from New York to London, transfers and all government fees and taxes.

For more information, visit www.silversea.com or contact the UK's leading luxury cruise experts, The Cruise Line Ltd, on 0800 008 6677.

A Jewel For Alaska

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced it will position Norwegian Jewel in Alaska for the first time in 2012/13. Jewel will replace Norwegian Star, which will offer sailings to Bermuda from her new home port of New York.

Jewel will cruise from Seattle on a seven-day Sawyer Glacier itinerary. The weekly Sawyer Glacier cruises will depart from May 26-September 8, 2012, and will call at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.

Families onboard can enjoy Jewel’s Nickelodeon at Sea entertainment, offering live Nickelodeon-themed interactive shows, Nick Live! Poolside entertainment; character breakfasts and meet and greets and Nick-themed dance parties.

NCL will sail two ships to Bermuda weekly from April until October calling at King’s Wharf. Star will sail from New York on Sundays, staying for three full days, and Dawn will sail her Bermuda itinerary departing on Fridays from Boston, also with three days at the island.

Kevin Sheehan, NCL's chief executive officer, insists: “The 2012/2013 season is filled with new and exciting Freestyle Cruising choices. Whether it’s our ships cruising different destinations, disembarking from new homeports or sailing new itineraries, we offer the most freedom and flexibility when it comes to cruise travel. We are pleased to bring Norwegian Jewel to Alaska and Star to Bermuda, along with continuing our popular Hawaii inter-island cruises and short cruises to the Bahamas through early 2013.”

Additional itinerary announcements for 2012/13:

Norwegian Jewel will sail a seven-day Sawyer Glacier cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 19, 2012, and a seven-day Sawyer Glacier from Seattle to Vancouver on September 15.

Norwegian Pearl (above) will return to Seattle sailing her weekly seven-day Glacier Bay cruises departing on Sundays from May 13 to September 9, 2012, calling at, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria.

Norwegian Pearl will also sail a seven-day Glacier Bay cruise from Vancouver to Seattle on May 6, 2012, and a Seattle-to-Vancouver cruise on September 16.

Pride of America will continue as the only US-flagged vessel sailing among all four of Hawaii’s main islands. Her seven-day cruises from Honolulu are available now until April 7, 2013. Ports of call include: an overnight in Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; an evening sail by the Kilauea Volcano (weather permitting); Kona, Hawaii; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kauai; and an afternoon cruise of the breathtaking Nãpali Coast.

Norwegian Sky will continue sailing three and four-day cruises to the Bahamas year-round from Miami until April 15, 2013. The three-day Bahamas cruise departs on Fridays and includes stops in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. On Mondays, the ship departs on a four-day cruise with stops in Grand Bahama Island, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau.

For more information, call 0845 201 8900 or visit http://www.ncl.co.uk/, or check out the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Crystal Cruises + Canada/New England = Cruise Perfection

We are just back from a truly sublime 12-day voyage with Crystal Cruises from Montreal (above) to New York, taking in large parts of the late Fall Foliage scene through Canada and New England.

This was a brand new area for us, cruise-wise, and came as quite a revelation. In company with Crystal's peerless style, it makes for an absolute stunner of a cruise, with plenty of captivating ports of call, superb onboard ambience and an almost non-stop backdrop of eye-catching scenery.

The ports were the Canadian quartet of Montreal, Quebec, Halifax and St John, followed by Portland (Maine), Boston and Newport (Rhode Island). Each one offered a level of interest and diversity that can usually only be found in the most port-intensive of Mediterranean or Northern Europe itineraries, and there was much that came as a real surprise in terms of the activities, sight-seeing, history and, most importantly, the food en route.

We'll try to provide a few more details here on Time Spent At Sea in the coming weeks, but look for a BIG feature focus on this cruise, and the region as a whole, throughout 2011 in World of Cruising.

It is almost 15 years since we did a full cruise with Crystal and it certainly served to underline that nobody does it better in terms of big-ship deluxe voyaging, with the food and service quite superb. The onboard entertainment was first class and the relaxation factor was also noticeable in the comfort of one of their Penthouse deck staterooms (well worth paying the extra for, in our opinion) and we left with that rare feeling of real regret at the end of the 12 days!

Crystal Symphony may be 15 years old these days but her classic styling still make her seem new, she has been wonderfully well maintained and her 2009 refurbishment added a real touch of class to many staterooms and the Lido Deck.

We'd also have to say that this is a real thinking person's cruise. It is not an all-action, non-stop barrage of sunshine, beaches and activity, but it IS an absolutely fascinating look at a part of the world that is not too busy at this time of year (late September and October) and offers a lot to enchant and beguile in a subtle, sophisticated manner.

Standout ports were the UNESCO world heritage city of Quebec, the two-day visit to brilliant Boston, and the small-scale charm (and opulence!) of Newport, but every single stop included something new, vibrant and attractive, and that is a rare commodity these days.

The real test of any cruise is usually the question - would we want to go back? If it was the exact same voyage, and with Crystal - indisputably!

Maiden Port of Call for MSC Poesia

By guest blogger Steve Newman

MSC Poesia sailed to Southampton on a maiden port of call during its Ocean Voyage Cruise on the 7th of September. This was the first time the ship has called to Southampton port.

MSC Cruises marked the event by inviting travel agents, consumers, press and MSC Club members on board for the day, where they enjoyed a ship tour and lunch. Prior to dining in the Ii Palladio restaurant, guests were presented with a food demonstration on how to make an Italian classic, gnocchi.

Other highlights of the day included a presentation by Agustin Garcia from the Spanish Tourist Board and Susana Roel Cabal of La Coruna Port Authority, who were invited onboard following a recently formed collaboration between MSC Cruises and the Spanish Tourist Board to promote Mediterranean sailings and Spain as a destination.

MSC Poesia is currently cruising to the United States where it will tour North America and Canada, including New York (above) before positioning to the Caribbean for the winter cruiser season.

MSC also cares about the welfare of children as the company recently forged a partnership with UNICEF to fund a community project aimed at providing disadvantaged children in Brazil with a high quality education.

Find out more at http://www.msccruises.co.uk/