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.

Cruise-and-Stay In Style with Crystal

Guests joining Crystal’s Alaska and New England & Canada voyages can choose to extend their stay and enjoy a stylish city break either pre or post-cruise thanks to the launch of two fabulous new land packages.

These packages, which showcase the best of San Francisco and New York and offer fantastic value for money, feature private transfers, luxurious hotel accommodation, guided tours and access to an exclusive concierge service

New York: available pre or post-cruise on New England & Canada voyages between New York and Montreal, this three-night land package costs from £594 per person and includes:

· Three nights at the new five-star luxury boutique property, the Mondrian Soho

· A Broadway Artist Encounter at hotel then tickets to a show with the best seats in the house

· A Designer Shopping Experience in the Garment District

· A behind-the-scenes look at Christies Auction House – a private tour with afternoon tea

· Use of an exclusive concierge service

San Francisco - Available pre-or post-cruise on Alaska voyages round-trip from San Francisco, this three-night land package costs from £431 per person and includes:

· Three nights at the five-star boutique The Clift

· A half-day city tour followed by a trip to Alcatraz Island

· A full day wine-tasting tour to Sonoma and Napa Valley

· A romantic Champagne dinner

· Use of an exclusive concierge service

For reservations, visit Crystal Cruises at www.crystalcruises.co.uk or contact the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line.

Crystal's Grand Autumn Cruise Sale

Crystal Cruises’ autumn voyages are now on sale with newly reduced fares from as little as £2,249 per person and new Penthouse and Balcony Stateroom savings up to £5,078 per couple. Starting with its August 26 Mediterranean cruise on Crystal Serenity and its September 13 Canada/New England voyage on Crystal Symphony, Crystal is offering new savings on every one of its 22 autumn cruises, including both Christmas and New Year departures.

In addition, guests will still receive up to $2,000 per couple “All Inclusive–As You Wish” onboard spending money as well as free air from London.

Crystal’s autumn cruise collection includes a fabulous array of destinations, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Canary Islands, Morocco, Holy Land, a swinging Big Band Transatlantic sailing, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Caribbean (above), New England and Canada, Pacific Coast and Christmas and New Year cruises to Hawaii and the Caribbean with Panama Canal highlights.

Prices start from £2,249 per person based on a seven-night Mexican Riviera itinerary with departures on November 20 and 27. Price includes free return economy class flights from London, seven nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window with all meals and soft drinks, port taxes and basic gratuities. In addition, as part of Crystal's "All Inclusive - As You Wish" promotion, guests will also receive onboard spending money of $500 per person, which can be spent on shore excursions, spa treatments, alcoholic beverages, purchases in the onboard boutiques, gratuities or Vintage Room experiences.

One signature example of the value inherent in the Crystal Experience is an abundance of all-inclusive fine dining options, now incorporating new, flexible Perfect Choice Dining, which allows guests to choose what time they would like to eat and where.

For more information, visit Crystal Cruises at http://www.crystalcruises.co.uk/ or contact the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line.

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!