European Waterways refurbishes Rick Stein's Barge

Spring time will soon be upon us, and what better place to spend it than cruising through the orchards and vineyards in the South of France? The gorgeous Dutch barge Rosa immerses passengers in a world of picturesque villages, good food and fine wine, sailing on the Canal de la Garonne through Gascony towards Bordeaux.

An old friend and one of their most prized barges, she has been a member of the European Waterways fleet for a number of years, and was loved by celebrity chef Rick Stein on his hugely successful BBC TV series 'French Odyssey'.

Newly refurbished, Rosa now presents an exquisite wood-panelled saloon, occupied by cosy seating and a bar. Passengers can relax on her deck as they bask in the French sun and even enjoy her very own spa pool.

The varied itinerary offers passengers the very essence of Southern France. As they visit historic Montauban, experience ancient abbeys, indulge in wine, armagnac and fois gras tasting and even traverse an impressive 1,000ft aqueduct. Eight passengers can enjoy this experience, staying in one of four double cabins, each air conditioned and with en suite facilities, or a party can charter the whole barge.

Rates for a cruise aboard Rosa are from £2,250 per person sharing a double cabin and from £15,700 for an exclusive charter of the entire vessel for 8 passengers. This is all-inclusive (excl. travel).

The European Waterways hotel barges accommodate between 4 and 20 passengers and are ideal for people looking for either an individual cruise with other like-minded people or for those wanting a whole barge charter for a family or group of friends.

All the vessels across Europe's rivers are fully crewed with a Captain, gourmet chef, hostess and tour guide, with a private air-conditioned mini-bus taking passengers on excursions. There are well-planned and interesting daily itineraries that give passengers the opportunity to visit cultural and historical places of interest, vineyards and markets in each region.

For more information visit European Waterways or contact the UK's leading luxury river-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Crystal Brings Stieg Larsson To Life In Stockholm

Tattoos….murder….secrets….Stockholm. Only one of these things is normally associated with a luxury cruise line, but with Crystal Cruises’ new Crystal Adventure - “Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm” - guests can discover a little Scandinavian intrigue first-hand in 2011.

With more than 46 million books sold worldwide, deceased Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s Millennium book series has made him the biggest novelist to come out of Europe since J.K. Rowling. All three books have been made into films while The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is now getting a big-budget Hollywood remake by renowned director David Fincher, and starring Daniel Craig and Robin Wright.

Crystal’s Larsson-focused shore excursion will take guests to the Stockholm island of Södermalm for a walking tour centred on his novels’ content. Much like the successful real-life Da Vinci Code tours that dot Europe, the tour will be spiced with factual information and intriguing stories that tie the real Stockholm to Larsson’s works of fiction.

This unique city view will be offered on three summer Baltic voyages on Crystal Serenity: May 22, 11-night “Baltic Explorer”; June 2, 11-night “Regal Treasures”; and June 27, 11-night “Jewels of the Baltic.” All three itineraries include overnights in Stockholm, as well as visits to Estonia, St Petersburg, Finland, Germany and Copenhagen.

The cost of the “Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm” excursion is $118 per person, which includes additional panoramic Stockholm highlights.

Prices for these Baltic voyages start from £4,207 per person (based on the May 22 departure) including free return economy class flights, 11 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window with all meals and soft drinks and port taxes. In addition, as part of Crystal's "All Inclusive - As You Wish" promotion, guests on this voyage will also receive onboard spending money of $1,000 per person, which can be spent on shore excursions, spa treatments, alcoholic beverages, purchases in the onboard boutiques, gratuities or Vintage Room experiences.

For reservations, call www.crystalcruises.co.uk or check with the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Celebrity Cruise Lines

Celebrity Cruise Lines

22 years ago, a Greek group of companies owned by Chandris brothers, Anthony and Dimitri founded Celebrity Cruise Lines. They created this company initially to handle cruise ships to Bermuda. Celebrity cruise lines started with only two cruisers back in 1988, one transferred from Fantasy Cruises, a company of the same Group, and the other a new one, build in Germany. Today this company is no longer part of Chandris group and it owns the youngest fleet sailing today.

Celebrity has classified her ships into four classes. Millennium class has the newest and the best equipped cruise vessels. This class has four ships launched after 2000. Century class comprises two a little older but also modernized ships: Century and Mercury. Expedition class was created for more adventurous travelers and unexplored water seekers. Celebrity Expedition, a much smaller vessel, is the exponent of this class. Finally, Solstice class, the most luxurious one wants to fulfill every dream trying to touch perfection.
The travel press as well as the passengers rates this ships among the best in the world for the modern technology, imposing elegance, fine cuisine, high quality accommodations, and good entertainment.