Great Offers From Oceania

Those looking for a real cruise bargain this month could do a lot worse than consider these eight special offers from Oceania Cruises for the autumn:

7th September: Venice to Istanbul, 12 nights from £1,799

Oceania has a saving of up to £1,451pp off a 12-night cruise through the Mediterranean from Venice to Istanbul on board Marina, the company’s new, luxury ship, plus a credit of $1,000 per stateroom. The sailing now costs from £1,799pp or upgrade to a Penthouse suite for £2,399pp (saving £2,245pp). Prices in all cases are based on two sharing and include gourmet dining in a choice of six restaurants at no supplement, complimentary bottled water and soft drinks, but exclude flights.

19th September: 12 night Greek island cruise from £1,499pp

Marina has a spectacular 12-night sailing from Istanbul to Athens (plus $1,000 per stateroom onboard credit) with a saving of £1,327pp. The voyage embarks from Istanbul and visits Rhodes, Limassol, Haifa, Jerusalem, Crete, Patmos and Volos before disembarking in Athens.

1st October: 14 nights Istanbul to Barcelona from £1,399pp

Cruise from Istanbul to Barcelona via Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, Marmaris, Alanya, Limassol, Haifa and Valletta on board Oceania's mid-sized luxury cruise ship Nautica. The 14-night sailing now costs from £1,399 per person with $1,000 on board credit, saving up to £1,467 per person.

3rd October: 12 nights from Venice to Istanbul saving £1,061

Oceania has a saving of up to £1,618 off this Med cruise from Venice to Istanbul on board mid-sized Insignia, plus a credit of $1000 per stateroom. The sailing now costs from £1,199pp (was £2260, saving £1,061), with Penthouse suites from £2,399pp (was £4,017).

15th October: Mediterranean Rhapsody 14-night Med cruise from £1,749pp

Cruise through the magical Aegean Sea on a 14-night Insignia cruise, saving up to £1,420 per person. The sailing from Istanbul to Barcelona offers a $1,000 on board credit per stateroom and visits Kavalla, Ephesus, Rhodes, Santorini, Taormina, Amalfi, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Tuscany, Monaco and Marseille before disembarking in Barcelona.

1st October: Venice to Athens, just £999pp

Cruise from Venice to Athens along Croatia’s Adriatic coastline, visiting Kotor, Corfu, Kusadasi in Turkey and the Greek islands. This 10-night sailing on Marina was £1,890, and also offers a $1,000 per stateroom credit for onboard purchases.

25th October: Rome to Athens, £999pp

A 10-night sailing from Rome to Athens, along Italy’s west coast, visiting Sicily, Sardinia, mainland Greece and Kusadasi in Turkey can be booked for just £999 per person, with a $1,000 per stateroom credit for onboard purchases.

21st October: `Legacies of Antiquity’, 12-night Med cruise from £1,499pp

Marina sets sail from Rome to Istanbul with prices from £1,499 per person and a $1,000 on board credit, saving £1,185 per person. The voyage embarks from Rome and continues up Italy’s west coast to Istanbul via Florence, Pisa, Tuscany, Corsica, Sardinia, Sorrento, Palermo, Malta, Athens, Volos and Ephesus.

For more info, see www.oceaniacruises.co.uk or contact the UK's luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Lin Ltd.

Star Clippers New 'Rail & Sail' Offers

Star Clippers has new `Rail & Sail’ departures this summer, allowing guests to take the train directly from the UK to the south of France and join one of its magnificent tall ship sailings, completely avoiding airports and flying.

The company’s tall ship cruises from Cannes or Monaco operate between June and October and new rail-cruise packages cost from £1599 per person, including all meals, return rail travel from London, a night’s B&B pre-cruise accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Monaco or Nice, non-UK transfers to and from the ship and all port taxes.

The sailings are on board Star Clippers’ four-masted Star Flyer, departing from Cannes or Monaco on June 4, September 10 and October 1.

For the June and October departures, the ship sails from Cannes to Calvi (Corsica), the Costa Smeralda (Sardinia), Giglio (Italy) and Lerici (Italy), returning to St. Tropez and Monaco 7 nights later.

In September, Star Flyer departs Monaco for a 7-night sailing to L’Ille Rousse (Corsica), Portoferraio (Elba), Portofino (Italy), Hyeres Island and Sanary-sur-Mer (France) and St. Tropez beach and town, returning to Cannes on September 17.

Find out more by visiting www.starclippers.co.uk or the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

New `Rail and Sail’ Tall-Ship Cruises

Star Clippers is offering a new selection of 'Rail & Sail' departures for summer 2011, allowing guests to take the train directly from the UK to the south of France to join one of its magnificent tall-ship sailings, completely avoiding airports and flying.

The company’s tall-ship cruises from Cannes or Monaco operate between June and October and new rail-cruise packages cost from £1599 per person, including all meals, return rail travel from London, a night’s B&B pre-cruise accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Monaco or Nice, non-UK transfers to and from the ship and all port taxes.

The sailings are on board Star Clippers’ four-masted, head-turning tall ship Star Flyer, departing from Cannes or Monaco on 4th June, 10th September and 1st October 2011.

On 4th June and 1st October, the ship sails from Cannes to Calvi (Corsica), the Costa Smeralda (Sardinia), Giglio (Italy) and Lerici (Italy), returning to St. Tropez and Monaco 7 nights later.

On 10th September, Star Flyer departs from Monaco for a 7-night sailing to L’Ille Rousse, Corsica, Portoferraio (Elba), Portofino (Italy), Hyeres Island and Sanary-sur-Mer (France), St. Tropez beach and town, returning into Cannes on 17th September.

Sail cruises cost from £1599 for an inside cabin and £1739 for an outside cabin, including return travel from London, non-UK transfers to and from the ship, one night’s B&B, all taxes and 7 nights cruising, with all meals.

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

Noble Caledonia's Sardinia

From May 27 to June 5, Noble Caledonia have a unique voyage around the wonderful island of Sardinia aboard the 34-passenger Callisto. They will be joined by guest speaker Stephen Phillips, who will bring much to guests' understanding and enjoyment of the region.

Prices start from £3,395 per person based on double occupancy and include return flights from London, nine nights aboard the Callisto on full board, wine with lunch and dinner, shore excursions with English-speaking local guides, services of a cruise director, guest speaker, transfers, port taxes and airport taxes. The ports to be visited include Cagliari, Alghero, with an exursion to Bosa (above), and Olbia.

For more information, visit www.noble-caledonia.co.uk or contact the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Oceania's Great Spring Offers

Oceania Cruises is offering savings of up to 43 per cent off selected cruise departures in April, including a sailing on the company’s brand new cruise ship, Marina (above), and an onboard credit of $1,000 per stateroom (all prices exclude flights).

Current offers from Oceania Cruises include a 14-night sailing on the mid-sized Regatta, departing on April 12, now from just £1399 per guest (a saving of up to £1,697), PLUS a $1,000 onboard credit. Regatta departs from Miami to cruise up the east coast of the US, across to Hamilton, Bermuda, and on to Turks & Caicos islands and Dominican Republic, before returning to Miami. Prices include all meals, complimentary bottled water and soft drinks.

Or, departing on April 13, Oceania has a magnificent 10-night sailing through some of Europe’s most picturesque and historical regions on Insignia, now from just £1249 per person (saving up to £1,447 pp), based on two sharing, and including a $1,000/stateroom onboard credit. The ship embarks in Athens, sailing to Kusadasi, Turkey, through the Greek islands to Sicily, Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, and Monte Carlo, returning to Livorno and Civitivecchia (Rome).

Or, cruise from Rome to Venice, via Monte Carlo, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Corfu, Montenegro and Croatia on board Oceania's new Marina, departing on April 26. This 10-night 'Grandeur of Rome' sailing now costs £1,249 per person (again saving up to £1,447 pp), with a $1,000 onboard credit. Guests are treated to a choice of 10 dining venues on this magnificent new ship, with no charges for dining in its six speciality restaurants. Complimentary bottled water & soft drinks are also available throughout the ship.

Other European sailings currently with a $1,000 per stateroom onboard credit include sailings on board Marina on May 6 from Venice to Athens (from £1,877pp) and a 12-night cruise ex-UK on July 29 (from £2269 pp), including all meals, complimentary soft drinks and bottled water, but excluding flights.

To find out more about Oceania Cruises, visit www.OceaniaCruises.co.uk or contact luxury cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Sailing to Monaco Grand Prix

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Boutique cruise operator Star Clippers, who offer fully crewed sailings on board the world's most spectacular tall ships, has a new 16-night land-cruise package for 2011 that takes in not only the Cannes film festival, but both the time trials and the race itself at the Monaco Grand Prix, combined with 14 nights sailing on the magnificent Star Flyer.

The experience begins on May 19 with two nights at the 4-star Cannes Riviera Hotel, during the final days of the 2011 Cannes film festival, when this stylish resort will be patronized by the rich and famous.

On May 21, guests embark the magnificent Star Flyer en route to 11 different ports during a 14-night sailing that takes in the Monaco Grand Prix on the weekend of May 28-29.

The price of £3,399 per person includes return flights from the UK, transfers, two nights B&B accommodation at the Cannes Riviera Hotel, 14 nights on Star Flyer, with all meals, 'N' Grandstand tickets for the Monaco Grand Prix and a sailing itinerary that includes the French Riviera, Corsica, Sardinia's Costa Smeralda and the north-west coast of Italy.

For more information, contact http://www.starclippers.co.uk/ or check with the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Head for the Med, Italian Style

By guest blogger Steve Newman

The Mediterranean will always be a favourite spot for the UK cruising community. It’s not that far away, is pleasantly warm and has fascinating cultures and cities around its rim. Add to that the links with our own history and some of the best food found anywhere on the planet and you know you are on to a winner.

Now you can see the sights of Italy and the Mediterranean aboard Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Eclipse on a 14-night Italian Med cruise costing from only £1,409 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

As with all of Celebrity's eye-catching Solstice-class vessels, onboard features include a real grass lawn on deck, a glass-blowing show and studio developed with the renowned Corning Museum of Glass and the Celebrity iLounge, the Apple-only internet café and iconic store. As you’ll be visiting Italy, why not try a taste of the country beforehand in the Tuscan Grille? With its vibrant ambiance, this steakhouse offers a variety of exquisite selections, from Caesar salad prepared tableside to an antipasti station. Paired with any number of quintessential Italian wines, this is an experience destined to please more than just the palate.

Price includes a 14-night Med cruise departing from Southampton and calling at Gibraltar, Provence (Toulon), Florence, Rome, Cagliari (Sardinia) with its famous ice cream parlours (above), Seville (Cadiz), Lisbon and Vigo, before returning to Southampton (England); meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is based on 07 May 2011 departure.

For more information visit http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/.

Celebrity Cruises will also be exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17.

Cagliari, Sardinia

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Thanks for all your kind words and support as we gradually build up the blog. Due to family holidays and press trips, the frequency of posts will change for the next couple of weeks. We'll only be posting on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays. After that we'll be back to our normal daily service with an even wider range of posts.

In the meantime, the picture above is of the arcade some half a mile long on the Via Roma in Cagliari, Sardinia. Originally warehouses, the buildings have been converted into boutique, upmarket shops, cafes, hotels and restaurants. If you fancy a trip there, why not have a look at The Cruise Line site?