SeaDream on to a Winner!

Congratulations to SeaDream Yacht Club, who received the prestigious accolade of being voted ‘Favourite Small Ship Cruise Line’ as recognised by the Conde Nast Traveller Annual Readers’ Travel Awards 2011 this week.



To find out more about their cruises, visit www.seadream.com or contact the luxury-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Crystal's Taste of the Exotic in 2012

Ultra-luxury Crystal Cruises has announced its 2012 cruise collection, unveiling an enticing choice of exotic voyages. Now offering 68 worldwide itineraries - including brand new coveted destinations - the line frequently voted 'World’s Best' introduces its most extensive global presence yet.

Continuing to maintain the highest number of repeat customers and with an ongoing commitment to selling only through the trade, Crystal will offer even greater choice in 2012. These new itineraries and voyages have been meticulously crafted to appeal to today’s discerning luxury traveller.

The 2012 voyages are now available for waitlist and include:

· 94-day “Epic Islands and Empires” Pacific Rim World Cruise through Hawaii, the South Pacific, eastern and western Australia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Russia, Alaska, British Columbia and San Francisco, including a three-day inclusive overland adventure in Beijing; a maiden call in Newcastle, Australia; and a return to South Korea for the first time since 1994

· Christmas/New Year cruises in Australia/New Zealand and the Mediterranean

· Expanded collection of Mediterranean itineraries, including late Autumn options

· Expanded collection of Baltic and Northern European cruises

· More seven-day cruises in the Mediterranean and New England/Canada, as well as a seven-day voyage during Thanksgiving through the Mexican Riviera

· Transatlantic cruises from New York to Dover and from Miami to Lisbon, which can be combined with European cruises

· Late Autumn cruises in the South Pacific and New Zealand

· More overnight stays in destinations, including Ashdod, Reykjavik, Odessa, Honfleur, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Istanbul, Venice, Sorrento and Bordeaux, as well as destinations throughout Asia, Australia and South America.

Andy Harmer, UK sales and marketing director for Crystal says: “Globally renowned not only for its unrivalled luxury but for leading the way with unique and compelling offerings, the 2012 itineraries promise to be another milestone for Crystal Cruises. It is extremely exciting to have both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity in European waters for an expanded season and to announce new Christmas and New Year cruise destinations as part of our commitment to remain the World’s Best.”

Agents can access the day-by-day itineraries from October 30 at http://www.crystalcruises.co.uk/.

Now available for waitlist; contact Crystal Cruises on 020 7287 9040 or online. Or call specialist agent The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677 or http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/.

Sojourn's Southampton Debut

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Seabourn Sojourn, The Yachts of Seabourn’s newest deluxe ship, is making its debut in Southampton on April 27, 2011. The Port of Southampton will be the second UK port to feature a visit from Sojourn and is the final stop on its 111-day grand World Cruise from Los Angeles.

The ultra-chic vessel also represents the first luxury cruising-yacht to sail into and depart from Southampton in 2011. On the same day it arrives, Sojourn also sets sail on its round-trip Mediterranean Sojourn I & II itinerary, arriving back in the UK on May 14. The following day, Sojourn makes its final departure for the year from the famous south coast port, headed for Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.

Itineraries including Southampton:

MAIDEN VOYAGE WORLD CRUISE SEGMENT VOYAGE
15th – 27th April 2011; 12 Days
Rome – Southampton
Ports of call: Rome, Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena, Lisbon, Bordeaux and Southampton;
cruise-only fares from £3,099 per person

MEDITERRANEAN SOJOURN I & II
27th April 2011 – 14th May 2011; 18 Days
Southampton round-trip
Ports of call: Southampton, Vigo, Gibraltar, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Rome, Florence, Alicante, Lisbon, Porto and Southampton; cruise-only fares from £5,399 per person (including car parking at Southampton)

BALTIC SOJOURN
15th – 25th May 2011; 10 Days
Southampton – Copenhagen
Ports of call: Southampton, Stockholm, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Copenhagen; cruise-only fares from £3,899 per person

All fares are based on double occupancy and two people sharing a grade A Seabourn suite, including in-resort transfers, fully inclusive cruise, all fine dining, open bar, fully stocked mini-bar, tips and gratuities onboard.

Sojourn is the second of Seabourn's award-winning Odyssey-class vessels and accommodates guests in 225 spacious suites, 90 per cent of which have private verandas. Top-of-the-range staterooms include the Wintergarden Suites with private solarium and veranda, and Signature Suites with sweeping verandas and unrivalled views facing forward. The two-deck, state-of-the-art Spa at Seabourn features a Spa Villa that can be privately reserved, as well as a Kneipp Walk, herbal bath facility and an aroma steam bath with salt inhalation. The yacht offers four dining venues and six bars and lounges serving a full range of beverages, including fine wines and spirits with Seabourn’s compliments.

For further information, visit http://www.seabourn.com/ or http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/seabourn-cruises/.

Yachts of Seabourn are also exhibitnig at The Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17 and at London's Olympia from March 26-27 in 2011.

Winter Collection from Oceania

By guest blogger Steve Newman


Winter blues starting already? If so, upmarket Oceania Cruises has announced its 2011-12 winter line-up of 27 exotic itineraries in Asia, South America and the Caribbean, including new sailings to ports in Hawaii, the South Pacific and Australia/New Zealand.

The line’s Winter Collection also includes special introductory fares, which means 10-day cruise-only fares begin at just £499 per guest.

Winter Collection Highlights:

* 27 unique itineraries, 16 of which are all new
* 33 new ports of call
* New Hawaii and South Pacific voyages, including Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga and American Samoa
* A return to Australia and New Zealand
* Diverse and distinctive voyages in Asia
* A new Dubai-to-Cape Town cruise, showcasing Arabia and Africa
* New ship Marina (above) debuts on her first full season of voyages to the Caribbean
* Popular Amazon River cruise to depart from New York City
* New 16-day South America cruise round-trip from Valparaiso, which offers the opportunity to discover rarely visited Nazca Lines, plus Machu Picchu
* A grand 35-day Hong Kong-to-Athens adventure via the Suez Canal

For more information, contact Oceania Cruises on 0845 505 1920 or http://www.oceaniacruises.co.uk/

Oceania Cruises are exhibiting at The Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17 and at London's Olympia March 26-27, 2011.

Seabourn Get Smarter

It has been quite a year for the Yachts of Seabourn, with the launch of their much-heralded and admired Seabourn Odyssey and now a major makeover project for their three existing ships, Seabourn Spirit, Pride and Legend.

Never ones to rest on their laurels, it seems (especially with the Seabourn Sojourn arriving in summer 2010), the company has officially kicked off a multi-million dollar renovation of the original trio of its award-winning, small-luxury fleet.

The Spirit has just completed the refurbishment while Pride and Legend will undergo the same treatment in the coming year (January and autumn 2010 respectively), transforming the look and feel of each vessel with open and airy interiors, modern embellishments, and richly-coloured contemporary on-deck furnishings.

It is all in keeping with bringing the overall standard up to the new level which their latest newbuilds have brought about with their arrival this year.

“Seabourn Spirit came out of drydock a couple of weeks ago,” said Seabourn President and CEO Pamela Conover, “and the response of our guests, both multi-repeaters and first-timers, has been unanimous — the Spirit looks absolutely beautiful.”

The renovation programme is being overseen by RTKL Associates Inc. in Miami, an award-winning international design firm recognised for its creative approach to commercial and residential spaces. The extensive work is also being done during regularly scheduled periodic maintenance.

All the enhancements begin in the Reception Lobby with honey-toned wood panelling, two-toned marble flooring and furnishings re-upholstered in rich burgundy. The onboard entertainment spaces also shine, with the main show-lounge transformed with cut-velvet banquettes in muted blues and taupe chairs beneath glittering stars. In The Club, floral-motif carpeting plays off warm reds and burnt oranges while elegantly toned, matte stone panels invoke spaciousness throughout.

That play of colour and comfort continues in the observation lounge, where wrap-around windows illuminate new pale-green accents and soothing creams and beiges with the ever-changing light of sea and sky. New club chairs and sofas of creamy leather are inviting perches for taking it all in, accented with leaf-patterned throw pillows that echo the foliage theme in the carpeting.

In The Restaurant, celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer’s cuisine is now presented in a rich yet understated elegance of handsome toffee-toned woods, creamy caramel accents, dramatic sheer curtains striped horizontally in violet and gold interspersing muted purple drapes, and flooring finished in sumptuous golden stone with sage infusions.

Meanwhile, the open decks are going equally modern, with graceful new furniture of coffee-hued, powder-coated metal and chocolate-toned fabric.

Conover added: “The renovation of Pride, Spirit and Legend ensures guests will be enjoying the Seabourn experience on these unique vessels in a fresh, contemporary style. With our original three yachts scheduled for refurbishment, Seabourn Odyssey enjoying a stellar maiden year, and Seabourn Sojourn scheduled to launch in June 2010, Seabourn can now offer travellers more beautiful yachts in more exciting destinations throughout the year.”

It all serves to underline that the smart deluxe cruise operators are constantly looking to keep their product in that top-of-the-range echelon, and Seabourn will continue to be in the forefront of cruising's leading operators for the forseeable future.