Get Into The Rio Spirit With Silversea

For those who fancy a fiesta, Silversea is pleased to announce that two of its 2012 itineraries will call at the world-famous Rio Carnival whilst in South America next year.

Silversea has embraced the festival spirit and created a Carnival Land Programme for Silversea revellers who would like to experience the exciting atmosphere of probably the best known Carnival in the world. Guests can enjoy accommodation at one of the city’s finest hotels and pre-reserved Grandstand seating from which to watch the parade go by.

Voyage 5204: Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro, Silver Spirit, seven day voyage. Departing February 12, 2012, from Buenos Aires (Argentina), Silver Spirit calls at Punta Del Este (Uruguay), Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), Santos (Sao Paulo, Brazil); Paraty (Brazil) and Buzios (Brazil), before arriving in Rio. Fares start from £3,008 per person and offer complimentary economy class air plus a $500 “Passport to Luxury” Onboard Spending Credit per suite.

Silversea is offering a four-night post-cruise land programme with accommodation at the Caesar Park Hotel which includes reserved Grandstand seating in Section nine of the Sambadrome, allowing you to soak up the Carnival atmosphere. Prices from £2,599 per person sharing.

Voyage 5205: Rio de Janeiro to Bridgetown, Silver Spirit, 15 day voyage. Joining February 19, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro and departing February 21, Silver Spirit calls at Salvador De Bahia (Brazil), Recife (Brazil), Fortaleza (Brazil), Belem (Brazil), Scarborough (Trinidad & Tobago) and St. George’s (Grenada) before arriving in Bridgetown (Barbados). Fares start from £4,723 per person and offer complimentary economy class air plus a $1000 “Passport to Luxury” Onboard Spending Credit per suite.

With two nights’ in port in Rio, Silversea is offering a mid-voyage land adventure which allows you to indulge your senses with the exciting atmosphere of the world-renowned Carnival parade. Tickets for this programme include transfers between the ship and the Sambadrome with reserved seating in Section nine and must be pre-booked. Prices start from £449 per person.

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

Carnival Day In Tenerife

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Fred. Olsen’s cruise ship Boudicca (above) will be in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, on Carnival Day next year – March 12, 2011. Guests on cruise D1103, departing from Southampton on March 6, will have a unique opportunity to experience all the colour and excitement of the Carnival – the biggest and most spectacular outside Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Tenerife’s Carnival dates back to the 1600s and is a spectacle not to be missed. It begins on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday and ends on Ash Wednesday, and activity on the island centres on the capital, Santa Cruz. The event is one long, spectacular party; there are colourful floats, a Carnival Queen and groups of entertainers: ‘murgas’, comedians; ‘comparsas’, dancers; and ‘rondallas’, singers. Everyone works for months in advance to create this stunning event, which now aspires to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The events open with a procession through the streets of Santa Cruz, with much music and dancing, and end with the ceremonial ‘El Entierro de la Sardina’ – or ‘Burying the Sardine’! Feast your eyes, and join in with the colourful activities of Carnival on this cruise.

The full itinerary is of 14 nights, departing and visits Leixoes (for Oporto) in Portugal, then Arrecife (Lanzarote), Santa Cruz (Tenerife) – where the carnival takes place – San Sebastian (La Gomera), Santa Cruz (La Palma), Funchal (Madeira), and Vigo (Spain), before returning to Southampton.

In addition to the music and colour of the Carnival, this cruise has a musical theme, as it is one of Fred, Olsen’s ‘Music and Laughter’ cruises, with the superb Abba tribute band, Abba Arrivals, performing live. It is also a Flagship Golf cruise, which means keen golfers can opt for an additional package, that combines golf ashore with professional tuition aboard, for an extra £375 per player.

Prices for this very special cruise start at £1,444 per person, based on two adults sharing an outside twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. Prices include all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

For more information, visit http://www.fredolsencruises.co.uk/ or call cruise agents The Cruise Line on 0800 008 6677.