Viking's Valentine Bonus

To get holidaymakers into the romantic spirit next Valentine’s Day, Viking River Cruises will send a beautiful bouquet of flowers to every customer who books a cruise with them between the 6th and 14th of February 2012. The Company offers scenic cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, China and Southeast Asia, sailing right into the heart of some of the world’s most beautiful and romantic destinations.

So, if you want to live out your very own fairytale romance in Heidelberg castle; walk hand in hand around Budapest; or stroll through the streets of the capital of love, Paris, Viking has the holiday for you this February.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's river-cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Now THAT'S How Cruise Awards Should Be Done

Having given the so-called British Travel Awards a major kicking recently for their laughable selection of Cruise Awards, it was refreshing to see the Cruise Critic UK Awards come out this week with a sane, sensible and highly credible approach to pretty much the same thing.

Using their own in-house editorial experts, led by extremely knowledgeable editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer-Brown, they have 25 individual awards - from the obvious things of Best New Ship and Best For Kids to Best Itineraries and Best Buffet - and all have the ring of authenticity and genuine cruise know-how.

In full, the 2011 award winners are:

Best New Ship - Carnival Magic
Best New River Ship - SS Antoinette (Uniworld)
Best For Luxury - Seabourn Cruise Line
Best for First Timers - Ventura (P&O Cruises)
Best Line for Kids - Royal Caribbean
Best Itineraries - Cunard Line
Best for Adventure - Star Clippers
Best River Cruise Line - Viking River Cruises
Best Value for Money - Voyages of Discovery
Best for Fly-Cruises - Thomson Cruises
Best for Dining - Oceania Cruises
Best Buffet - Marina (Oceania Cruises)
Best Alternative Restaurant - The Verandah (Cunard's Queen Elizabeth)
Best for Entertainment - Cunard Line
Best for Healthy Cruising - Celebrity Cruises
Best Suites - Marina (Oceania Cruises)
Best Cabins - Holland America Line
Best Shore Excursions - Noble Caledonia
Best Guest Speakers - Voyages to Antiquity
Best for Honeymooners - Princess Cruises
Best for Wine Lovers - Celebrity's Solstice-Class
Best Cruise Ship Bar - The Glass House (P&O's Azura)
Best UK Port of Call - Newcastle
Best UK Departure Port - Southampton

All the category winners come fully explained with the 'why' of their choice and some useful info on the award-winner, and categories like Best Value and Best Suites are extremely relevant to today's cruisers (are you taking note, BTA?).

The categories like Best Bar and Best for Wine-Lovers are just plain fun, and the choice of Newcastle as best UK port of call is sure to start some earnest debate on the subject (as well as rewarding a go-ahead port authority - for my money, Lerwick in the Shetlands would be hard to beat as they simply work so hard to attract ships and provide a unique port experience, but that's a very minor quibble).

Do I agree with all the selections? No, but then you probably would struggle to get any two major cruise experts to agree anyway as there is so much that's subjective about these types of awards (as well as so much choice these days).

I probably wouldn't have given Cunard Best Itineraries as their ships are all so big there are many ports they CAN'T visit (unlike, say, Crystal, Silversea or even someone like Orion Expedition Cruises, whose itineraries are truly eye-catching), while I also think there are many other better contenders for Best Alternative Restaurant than QE's Verandah.

Ideally, I'd also like to see more categories to highlight the major differentiation these days between the large mega-ships and the smaller, more boutique types (for instance, how do you compare a new ship like Carnival Magic against the tiny-by-comparison Seabourn Quest?).

But that is really just nit-picking as against the big beefs I have with the comparable cruise section of the BTA. All in all, the Cruise Critic UK awards are a laudable and highly worthwhile exercise, and all the winners are to be congratulated.

For the full story, go to this page on Cruise Critic UK and click on the necessary link to see the Winners.

Viking Unveils the Crown Jewel in Russian Cruising

To meet the growing demand for travel to Russia and exceed the expectations of today’s traveller, Viking River Cruises is setting a new standard with their Russian fleet: fully refurbishing each vessel from bow to stern and creating new and inviting interiors — spacious staterooms, elegant dining rooms and comfortable lounges.

The final ship to be fully refurbished is the Viking Rurik, which will launch in 2012 and offer two-room Suites that are an impressive 405sq ft, as well as spacious Junior Suites and 60 Staterooms with full verandas. The completion of this ship also marks the full transformation of all four vessels in Viking’s Russian fleet.

To commemorate the Viking heritage and Russian history, the four ships will be renamed after Rurik and his family, Helgi, Ingvar and Truvor, who were the original Russian explorers. Rurik, a leader of the Vikings in the 9th century, ventured along the rivers of what is now Russia and founded the Rurikid Dynasty, which ruled over Russia for many centuries. Specially designed to cruise Russia’s great waterways, Viking ships are built for around 200 guests, offering a more intimate holiday.

Comfort and quality, along with stunning river views in every stateroom, ensures there is no more relaxing or rewarding way to discover Russia than on board these beautiful ships.

For more info, visit www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk or the river cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Viking Announce Two More 'Longships' For 2012

Viking River Cruises have announced two more new-ship builds in 2012 in response to the high demand for bookings in the next two years.

The new ships are in addition to the four already in service. The new builds will copy the design of Viking’s current 'green' Longship vessels, including the Viking Prestige and Legend. The Longships will be 443ft long, feature 95 staterooms per ship and will boast key innovations such as:

Two Explorer Suites — which will be the largest river-cruise suites each, featuring a separate living room, bedroom, bathroom and private wraparound veranda, offering 270-degree views.

Seven 275sq ft Veranda Suites with a full-size veranda from the living room and a French balcony from the bedroom.

Thirty-nine Veranda Staterooms with full-size verandas.

A new all-weather indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace that reinvents the lounge by bringing the outdoor river scenery indoors with retractable floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

Al Fresco dining areas on the Upper deck, adjacent to the lounge to present more dining choices to guests.

And Sustainability upgrades such as energy-efficient hybrid engines, solar panels, efficient, hybrid propulsion system and an onboard organic herb garden.

The six ships are scheduled to sail Viking’s most popular European itineraries, including the 15-day Grand European Tour, 8-day Romantic Danube, 8-day Danube Waltz, 10-day Tulips & Windmills and 8-day Rhine Getaway.

For further info, visit www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk or consult the river-cruise experts of specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

Viking's China River Tours Go To 'The Roof of The World'

Here's an interesting press release this weekend from top river-cruise operator Viking, whose latest programme of cruise-tours through China now has three highly enticing possibilities.

Imperial Jewels of China, Shanghai to Beijing; from £2,245/12 Days

See all of China’s key highlights in just 12 days. Explore cosmopolitan Shanghai and, in Beijing, imperial treasures like the Great Wall and Forbidden City. Cruise the wildly beautiful Three Gorges region of the legendary Yangtze, and admire the engineering marvel of the Three Gorges Dam. You also visit Xian, home of the famous Terra Cotta Army.

Roof of the World, Beijing to Shanghai, plus Tibet; from £2,850/16 Days

Discover the many faces of China on this fascinating 16-day adventure. See the imperial treasures of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai and enjoy a 6-day Yangtze River cruise. Then experience the Tibetan plateau, known as the “Roof of the World”. Spend three spiritually enlightening days in Lhasa, visiting Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace and more.

China’s Cultural Delights, Beijing to Shanghai; from £2,695/17 Days

This 17-day odyssey explores China’s cradle of culture with an epic 11-day Yangtze cruise between Chongqing and Nanjing. See all the wonders of Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and the Three Gorges, plus visit the birthplace of porcelain, the elegant classical gardens of Suzhou, a sacred Buddhist mountain and much more.

For more information, visit www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk or contact the river-cruise specialists at The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Viking's Touch Of Prestige

Viking River Cruises have announced the launch of their second state-of-the-art ‘green’ ship, the Viking Prestige.

Building upon the high standard set by Viking Legend, the industry’s first “green” river cruise vessel, the Prestige will have the same efficient, hybrid propulsion system. Producing less vibration and using significantly less fuel, this cutting-edge technology offers a quieter, smoother journey than other ships and represents the environmentally responsible future of Viking’s European vessels.

The new ship also features Viking’s signature décor: sophisticated, understated elegance across the 188-passenger vessel. Boasting all-outside staterooms and French balconies on both the Upper and Middle decks, the ship’s public areas also provide unobstructed panoramic viewing throughout, including in the single-seating restaurant, library, observation lounge and bar, as well as the expansive sun deck.

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

Viking Launches 'Magnificent Mekong' For 2012

Ahead of the launch of its main 2012 brochure, Viking River Cruises has released its 'Magnificent Mekong' programme with massive savings for early bookers. Double discounts, giving savings of up to £1000 per person, are offered on any Mekong departure booked by June 30 for travel in 2012.

The early release of the programme follows huge demand for the 16-day itinerary, which combines a land tour of Vietnam and Cambodia with a seven-night cruise on the 66-passenger RV Tonle, a graceful, French colonial-style vessel hand-finished in brass and teak.

Along the journey, highlights include visits to the ancient Khmer monuments at Angkor Wat; the chance to explore the floating markets of the Mekong Delta and the old city of Hanoi in Vietnam; as well as visits to the elegant French colonial capital of Phnom Penh and the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.

Other escorted tours include a visit to hilltop Wat Hanchey and the Twin Holy Mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey; a small boat excursion through the Kampong Chhnang wetlands; a Cyclo tour featuring the Royal Palace and National Museum in Phnom Penh with an excursion to the Killing Fields; and a visit to the market of Prek Touch.

Prices start from £2,699 per person (with £1,000 discount) and include return flights from London to Hanoi and from Ho Chi Minh City (or vice versa); a seven-night river cruise with river-view stateroom; two nights' hotel stay in Hanoi, three nights in Siem Reap and two nights in Ho Chi Minh; 14 guided tours with audio headsets; and the internal flight between Hanoi and Siem Reap. A programme of 'Cultural Highlights' featuring a traditional Vietnamese wedding ceremony and a visit to the Siem Reap arts and craft school, plus a 'Culture Curriculum' programme giving language lessons and talks are also included.

For those with more time to explore the region further, Viking also has two add-on packages, with two nights at Ha Long Bay priced from £299 per person, or three nights in Bangkok from £599 per person, with escorted tours included throughout.

Full details can by found by visiting www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk or via the river and adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

The Future of River Cruising? (by SV)

With news of the demise (in 2010) of Peter Deilmann's river cruise operations, American operator AMA Waterways is looking to jump into the gap. Represented in the UK by Fred. Olsen Cruises, a weekend press release insists AMA is "the future of river cruising" in Europe.

While it may be a tad too soon (like, about 12 months too early!), to make any predictions of all-encompassing success in the river cruise ranks, it is probably a smart move by AMA to flag up their options (especially at the luxury end of things) in a bid to grab a greater share of the market, especially since the launch of their new, five-star MS Amalyra (above).

AMA expects to increase river cruise business in 2009 by "up to 200%" (although even a 1% increase would actually fall within range of that quote!), with a similar figure projected for next year.

Now, the question is, will Viking River Cruises (the UK and Europe's other big river operator) throw their hat into the ring for "the future"?

For more details of AMA Waterways cruises, look up http://www.amawaterways.com/ or try Fred. Olsen on 01473 746175. To book, as always, call The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.