Cruise the Canaries with Royal Caribbean

Join Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas on a 14-night Spain & Canary Islands cruise-only from just £895 per person (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom) this spring.

For less than £64 per night, this superb price includes the full two-week voyage, which departs Southampton on March 17 and calls at Vigo, Lisbon, Lanzarote, Las Palmas, Tenerife and La Coruña before returning to Southampton, plus all meals and entertainment on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

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

Strictly Goes To Sea With P&O

P&O Cruises will have top names from the highly-rated BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing on two Oriana cruises in 2012 to entertain and inform passengers - and fans of the lavish ballroom dance spectacular.

Guest can choose from a 12-night Canary Islands cruise on May 28 and a 14-night Norwegian Fjords cruise on July 14, when they can learn how to jive, foxtrot, rumba, quickstep and more from the professionals and join acerbic judge Craig Revel-Horwood for a night in the theatre.

As some of Strictly’s most loved professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn by the celebrities and stars in this series.

Prices for Oriana’s Canaries cruise start at £1,349 per person. It sails round-trip from Southampton and calls at Ponta Delgada, Horta, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo. The 14-night fjords cruise starts from £1,599 per person, again round-trip from Southampton, calling at Stavanger, Alesund, Trondheim, Ny Alesund, Tromso, Bergen, Eidfjord and Hardangerfjord.

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

Fred. Olsen Launches ‘Captains’ Collection’

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched a new brochure of 73 specially-selected, ex-UK cruises for 2012/13, offering exceptional value for money – the ‘Captains’ Collection’. All the featured cruises offer additional savings and selected cruises offer both Double Savings and Free Onboard Spend for selected cabin grades, including both Boudicca and Braemar’s Christmas cruises for 2012, so there are superb deals to be had for early bookers.

The special rates are applicable on bookings made by February 29. Guests booking earlier – by January 10 – can also benefit from free coach travel or car parking, making the offer even better value for money. Fred. Olsen’s ‘No Fuel Surcharge Guarantee’ also applies on all bookings made by January 31, for departures from January 1 onwards, so value for money is guaranteed.

The ‘Captains’ Collection’ brochure includes cruises on all four Fred. Olsen ships: Balmoral, Braemar, Black Watch and Boudicca, sailing from a variety of convenient regional UK ports. Destinations include Norway, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the British Isles, Iberia, Canada and the Canary Islands. Savings can be up to £500 per booking, and discounts vary, depending on the cabin grade and duration of the cruise. On a cruise of 14 nights or more, savings range from £100 on a single cabin to £500 for a suite. 

For example, Braemar’s ‘The Azores & the Canaries’ cruise (M1208), a 14-night voyage from Dover on April 14, visits Lisbon (Portugal), Arrecife (Lanzarote), Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Santa Cruz (La Palma), Praia da Vitoria (Azores) and Ponta Delgada (Azores) before returning to Dover, now has prices from £1,229 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. Prices also include all meals, onboard entertainment and port taxes, representing exceptional value for money.

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

Cruise The Canaries With Royal Caribbean (And Save 20%!)

Here's a great weekend offer to get you thinking about some Winter sun: Join Royal Caribbean on a 12-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise-only from £950 per person (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

This bargain price includes a 20 per cent discount on the original brochure price, with the voyage departing from Southampton and calling at Funchal (Madeira), Tenerife, Las Palmas, Lanzarote and Vigo before returning to Southampton; all meals and entertainment on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

PLUS, you can receive free car parking in Southampton port or a complimentary coach transfer to the port if booked by February 29. Price is based on May 9 departure.

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

A Canary Islands New Year or Norwegian Fjords Summer?

Bring in the New Year with Royal Caribbean on board their Independence of the Seas on a 12-night Spain & Canary Islands cruise, and pay just £949 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

This fab lead-in price includes the 12-night cruise, departing from Southampton and calling at Lisbon, Funchal (Madeira), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Tenerife and La Coruna before returning to Southampton; all meals and entertainment onboard, plus all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on the December 29 departure.

For more information or to book use this link for specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

Or how about planning a summer voyage? You can have fun in the Fjords with Celebrity Cruises aboard their Celebrity Eclipse on an eight-night Norwegian cruise from just £937 per person in May (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

This price includes an eight-night cruise departing Southampton and calling at Bergen, Flam, Geiranger (above) and Oslo before returning to Southampton; all meals and entertainment and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on a May 4 departure.

For more information or to book use this link for agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

P&O Double Ex-UK Winter Sailings

P&O Cruises has doubled its ex-UK capacity next year from one ship to two as both Oceana and Oriana will sail from Southampton throughout winter 2012/13 on cruises of two to 35 nights in duration.

Oceana’s second year of winter cruising from Southampton also includes, for the first time, two short cruises for Christmas and New Year. These voyages offer the chance to spend Boxing Day in Copenhagen or New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam, for some authentic festive celebrations whilst being away for only four or seven days.

Oriana will offer seven ex-UK sailings, including a 10-night Baltic cruise in December calling in at popular Christmas market destinations such as Copenhagen and Hamburg; and a 12-night Canary Islands cruise in late January to ports including Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Casablanca.

This is in addition to the four grand winter World Cruises from January to April 2012, round-trip from Southampton, including Azura’s maiden world cruise.

For more details and booking info, be sure to check out the P&O Cruises section of leading UK cruise agents, The Cruise Line Ltd, on this link.

Big Bands and Ballroom with Crystal Cruises

With classic dance moves currently taking centre stage on “Strictly Come Dancing”, Crystal Cruises has expanded its live Big Band and Ballroom Dance theme cruises for 2012. Guests will feel like stars themselves as they swing, cha-cha and tango across the Atlantic accompanied by two old-school favourites: the Glenn Miller Orchestra on Crystal Symphony’s 19th March Miami-Madeira-Lisbon voyage, and the Artie Shaw Orchestra on Crystal Serenity’s Barcelona-Canary Islands-St Maarten-Miami cruise on 9th December.

Whether a dancer or just toe-tapping listener, guests will be surrounded by live 17-20-piece orchestras with vocalists, plus complimentary daily dance sessions, including: Professional group dance lessons for all levels of experience; Advanced dance workshops for more proficient dancers; Twice the usual number of professional dance instructors; Extra Ambassador Hosts to lead women without dance partners; and Dancing both in the afternoon and late into the evening.

“Book Now” prices (if booked by October 31) start from £1,862 per person for Symphony’s 10-night 19th March voyage and from £2,290 per person for Serenity’s 12-night 9th December voyage. Price includes complimentary return economy flights, overseas transfers and accommodation on an all-inclusive basis including all meals, complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, open bar service in all lounges and pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff.

Crystal's entertainment offerings include a range of venues and performances, from cabaret nightclub to piano bar saloon; acclaimed productions to headline entertainers; and sophisticated enrichment activities to in-room Blu-ray-viewing.

For further information, visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk or the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Gerald Scarfe Joins Fred. Olsen

As part of its growing cruise enhancement programme, Vistas, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is delighted to announce that the artist and satirical cartoonist, Gerald Scarfe, CBE, RDI, will be joining Braemar’s cruise to the Atlantic Islands next April.

Best known for his biting and highly individual political cartoons, as well as his collaboration with Pink Floyd on their epic production of The Wall, Scarfe was born in St. John’s Wood, North London, in 1936 and started to draw and create models as he recovered from bouts of asthma as a child.

He started drawing cartoons for national newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Sketch, Evening Standard and Punch magazine and was one of the early contributors to Private Eye. His work is also familiar from the opening credits of the 1980s TV series ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘Yes, Prime Minister’. From drawing, he moved into creating papier-mâché models of politicians, and gradually into television, film and other areas of the arts.

Scarfe was awarded the distinction of ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ in 1989, in recognition of his talents as an illustrator. He was then awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2008, remarking: “I am pleased, but surprised, since I’ve spent so much of my professional life being rude to people.”

He will host a ‘Drawing’ theme on Braemar's M1208 cruise to the Atlantic Islands, a 14-night voyage that departs from Dover on April 14, 2012, calling at Lisbon and visiting the islands of Lanzarote, Tenerife and La Palma in the Canaries, and two ports in the Azores, Praia da Vitoria and Ponta Delgada, before returning to Dover.



Prices start from £1,429 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘I’, and includes accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. There is no extra charge for taking part in Gerald’s Vistas workshops.

Find out more about by visiting www.fredolsencruises.com or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Fred. Olsen's Weekend ‘Summer Sale’

For a limited period over the Bank Holiday period, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be offering special reduced prices on six summer cruises, with durations ranging from 7 to 16 nights, to a variety of exciting destinations. These deals will be available from Friday 27th to Monday 30th May 2011 inclusive, and offer, amongst others, the chance to view the volcanic region of Iceland from the comfort and safety of a cruise ship!

Available from a choice of convenient regional UK departure ports – Southampton, Rosyth (Edinburgh) and Dover – these great prices start from just £56 per person per night, representing incredible value, with sale fares available across a range of cabin types.

The cruises selected for the special sale are:

· M1114 – a 13-night cruise to the Baltic, departing Dover July 2, priced from £799 per person, based on two adults sharing a twin cabin.

· D1115 – a 16-night cruise to Greenland and Iceland, departing Rosyth (Edinburgh) July 28, from £899 per person.

· M1116 – a 14-night cruise to the Canary Islands, departing Dover July 30, from £849 per person.

· L1111 – a 7-night cruise to France, departing Southampton on August 1, from £599 per person.

· W1112 – a 16-night cruise to Greenland and Iceland, departing Dover on August 11, priced from £899 per person.

· L1113 – a 14-night cruise to the Baltic, departing Southampton on August 18, from £899 per person.

Prices include accommodation, all meals and entertainment, port taxes and any applicable Fuel Supplement. Themes of ‘The History of Weather’ and ‘Classical Music’ are available on cruises W1112 and D1115 respectively through Fred. Olsen’s onboard enrichment programme, Vistas, which is free to guests.

Find out more at www.fredolsencruises.com or contact the cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Crystal Extend Golf-Themed Cruises

In a real “hole-in-one” for golf fans, Crystal Cruises is adding a golf theme to its 14-night Hawaiian Islands sailing this December. The round-trip from Los Angeles on board Crystal Symphony joins two other golf-themed cruises already scheduled on Crystal Serenity this year: an 11-night British Isles voyage departing July 22 and an 11-night Iberian Adventure around Portugal and Spain departing November 27, with legendary pro golfer Billy Casper headlining all three voyages.

With 51 PGA tour wins, many consider Casper the best putter of his era. On each cruise, guests can absorb stories and tips during informal lectures by Casper and other athletic stars, such as Emmy-winning sportscaster Jim Huber. They can also mingle and play with the PGA pros at some of the most stunning championship courses in the world, including:

· Poipu Bay (Kauai) - top Hawaiian course surrounded by ancient places of worship

· Royal Portrush (Belfast) - designed by course-architect great, Harry Colt

· Carden Park (Liverpool) - Jack Nicklaus/Golden Bear “thinking golfer’s” fairway with spectacular views

· Royal Dublin (Dublin) - Ireland’s second-oldest links

· El Saler (Valencia) - one of Golf Magazine’s “100 Greatest Courses in the World”

· Golf Club Del Sur (Canary Islands) - home to several PGA European tour competitions, surrounded by 8,000 palm trees

· Palheiro (Funchal) - coastal ridge greens on a 200-year-old estate.

Crystal provides transportation, caddies, warm-up time, lunch, ‘19th hole’ get-togethers, TaylorMade club rentals or cleaning of clubs and shoes, team-pairing, parties, awards and private clinics with PGA instructors like John Clark and Bill Stutzer.

Crystal’s Feng Shui spa and gym, personal trainers, nutrition and exercise classes, exclusive workout equipment and dietary choices also offer guests extensive opportunities to enhance their health and fitness regimes on every sailing.

Prices for the 14-night Pacific Cost Holiday voyage around Hawaii (sailing Dec 21) start from £5,783 per person, including return flights, transfers, 14 nights in a deluxe stateroom with all meals and soft drinks, and port taxes, plus $500 per person onboard credit.

Prices for the 11-night Emerald Isles voyage start from £4,266 per person, and for the 11-night Iberian voyage from £3,174, both with $1,000 per person onboard credit.

For more info, visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk or contact the UK's leading luxury cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Cruise For Less Than £64 Per Day With Royal Caribbean

Join Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas for an 11-night Spain & Canary Islands cruise from just £699 per person in the New Year (based on two sharing an inside cabin) - less then £64 per person per night.

That price includes an 11-night cruise departing Southampton and calling at Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Madeira (Portugal) and La Coruna (Spain)before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on February 13, 2012, departure.

For more info or to book, visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Big Early-Booking Savings With Crystal For 2012

Crystal Cruises is offering savings of up to £1,272 per couple when booking selected early 2012 departures before the end of the month. Massive savings of up to £6,308 are also available on the full 2012 World Cruise if booked before the end of April.

Prices for the early 2012 voyages start from £2,572 per person, cruise-only, based on the January 17 Panama Canal voyage from Miami to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.

And there is still plenty of time to book for this year as the freshly redesigned, 922-guest, 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony and the 1,070-guest, 68,870-ton Crystal Serenity cruise through the Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, South America, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Black Sea, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, British Isles, Baltic Sea, Arctic Circle, Alaska and New England/Canada.

For further info, see www.crystalcruises.co.uk or the UK's leading luxury cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Independence Sails Into 2012 with Great Value

Royal Caribbean is maintaining its attractive pricing for new cruises onboard Independence of the Seas in 2012. The move also confirms that the popular ship will remain sailing year-round from Southampton into next year. With consistently high guest satisfaction rates and very strong sales generated by the trade year-on-year, the ship is set to remain one of the most requested for UK holidaymakers.

Highlights of the new 2012 voyages include:

Two 14-night Mediterranean options (Mediterranean Treasures and Italian Mediterranean), leading in at £1,149. The Mediterranean Treasures sailing has the option of either a Cannes/Monte Carlo or Provence (Toulon) call.

The 11-night Spain and Canary Islands cruises, featuring Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Madeira and La Coruna, start from just £749 per person.

And there is the return of a 10-day dedicated Canary Islands cruise from £849.

Free car parking and £99 regional connection flights are also available on all bookings made before May 31, 2011, on sailings of 10 nights or longer

Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society members – the cruise line’s loyalty club – can make bookings 24 hours before the cruises go on general sale as of 9am on March 15.

For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or contact the cruise specialist agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

The Azores, Canary Islands and Ceramic Wonders

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Sail in the wake of European explorers to the Atlantic islands that once constituted the western barrier of the known world on a small ship luxury cruise. Zegrahm Expeditions' Azores voyage begins with a visit to Spain’s Alhambra with its amazng carvings and ceramic tile patterns (above) and the famed Rock of Gibraltar. Morocco offers a sensory-filled experience from mosques to souks in the exotic cities of Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakech.

Then spend several days exploring the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores. These dramatic volcanic islands feature historic architecture, lush gardens and vineyards, seabirds, beautiful beaches and colourful markets.

Zegrahm's Clipper Odyssey is also perfect for this style of voyaging, a 110-passenger luxury expedition vessel carrying a fleet of Zodiacs, which allow passengers to land anywhere nature or curiosity dictates. All cabins have an ocean view, safe, minibar, individually controlled heat/air conditioner, in-room music system, and sitting area with sofa.

Dates
May 4–20, 2011

Activities
Archaeology, Birding, Culture, Photography, Sightseeing, Wildlife viewing

For more information, visit http://www.zeco.com/ or try the UK's leading adventure cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Cruising from the UK from £72 per person per night

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Now you can Join Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas (above) for an 11-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise-only from just £792 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

Price includes an 11-night cruise-only, departing Southampton and calling at Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Tenerife (Canary Islands), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Funchal (Madeira, Portugal) and La Coruña (Spain) before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

This price is based on a March 14 departure.

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

Spring sunshine with Royal Caribbean International

By guest blogger Steve Newman

With the average temperature at 23°C in the Canary Islands in May, guarantee yourself some sunshine and join Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas (above) on a 10-night Canaries cruise from just £931 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

The price includes a 10-night cruise-only departing Southampton and calling at Funchal (Madeira, Portugal), Tenerife (Canary Islands), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Lanzarote (Canary Islands) and Vigo (Spain) before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Independence of the Seas is brimming with 15 decks of activities, including a Flowrider surf park at sea, an onboard ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall, a children’s water park, a teen-only nightclub, mother and daughter/father and son spa facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, miniature golf course and shopping.

Price is based on a departure of May 4, 2011.

For more information, see http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/ or talk to the cruise specialist agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Morocco, The Azores and The Alhambra

By guest blogger Steve Newman

May 4, 2011 • 17 days
Aboard Clipper Odyssey

Charming villages, wine tastings, volcanic hikes, camel rides, stunning scenery, colourful markets, superlative birding, and the list goes on — Zegrahm Expeditions’ Azores voyage aboard the Clipper Odyssey has it all.

Make your way from Spain’s famed Alhambra; set foot on the legendary Rock of Gibraltar; get swept away by the romance of Casablanca; sip and savour the Canary Islands; and end your voyage with five days exploring the dynamic islands that comprise the Azores. Travellers will be amazed by the myriad adventures Zegrahm Expeditions can pack into a single voyage and the sheer diversity that the eastern Atlantic has to offer.

This is no ordinary cruise, you’ll be exploring these unique destination in the company of expert leaders who bring each destination to life. Among them are ornithologist and sea bird expert, Peter Harrison; marine biologist and photographer, Jack Grove; and geologist Tom Sharpe.

For further information about Zegrahm Expeditions’ cruises, visit http://www.zeco.com/ or call the AdventureCruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Cruising for £88 per person per night

By guest blogger Steve Newman

As the belt tightening continues, the need to discover a good bargain comes more and more into our minds. Now you can cruise from home this winter onboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas (above) from just £881 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

Price includes their 10-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise departing from Southampton, and calling at Funchal (Madeira); Tenerife, Las Palmas and Lanzarote (Canary Islands); and Vigo (Spain) before returning to Southampton, plus meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Independence of the Seas is brimming with 15 decks of activities, including a Flowrider surf park, an onboard ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall, a children’s water park, a teen-only nightclub, mother-and-daughter/father-and-son spa facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, miniature golf and shopping.

The price is based on a November 8 departure.

For more information or to book, see http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/

You can also find out more about Royal Caribbean as they will be exhibiting at The Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17 and at London’s Olympia on March 26-27, 2011.

Canary Islands a lot "Cheeper"?

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Many of us prefer to take a cruise right at the end of summer to try to hold off those winter blues for a bit longer. October is becoming an ever more popular month to take a cruise and, if you can get to somewhere warm and get there quickly, so much the better.

So why not think about joining Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas for a 10-night Canary Islands cruise from just £699 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin)? That’s Canary Islands cruising for £69 per person per day!

Royal Caribbean are renowned for their high-quality, ultra-modern vessels and, now you can check in online, it saves time and you don't have to fill in any forms at the pier. When you and your party arrive, all you need is your signed SetSail pass, identification documents, and credit card that you register online.

The price for this voyage includes the full 10-night cruise departing from Southampton and calling at Funchal (Madeira, Portugal), Tenerife, Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Lanzarote and Vigo (Spain) before returning to Southampton. Meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees are also fully inclusive.

Independence of the Seas is also brimming with 15 decks of activities, including a Flowrider surf park at sea, an onboard ice-skating rink, rock climbing wall, a children’s water park, a teen-only nightclub, mother-and-daughter/father-and-son spa facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, miniature golf course and shopping.

Price is based on 29 October 2010 departure.

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