Beginning March 10 (this Sunday) CruiseReports' Editor
Jessica Agate will host daily reports from Celebrity Cruises'
1,950-guest Infinity directly to the CruiseReports website,
www.cruise-reports.com. Join
Jessica as she sails round-trip from San Juan, Puerto Rico to St. Croix;
Castries, St. Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; St. John's, Antigua; and St.
Thomas.
Read all about the fare at the intimate S.S. United
States specialty restaurant, experience the soothing AquaSpa, see
pictures of the staff, and discover all of the ship's nooks and
crannies! If you have a question or want to learn more about a specific
area of the ship, just drop Jessica a note at
crureports@aol.com, and she'll find you the answer.
The DailyReports will be featured in the
CruiseLog section on the CruiseReports website all next week. After
they've been posted, subscribers will have access to each day's logs in
the CruiseReports@Sea archives section of the website.
Hope to see you onboard!
Abercrombie $ Kent is offering savings of $500 per
person on select 2002 river cruises in France, England, Scotland and
Ireland. Barges include the Lafayette, Anacoluthe, L’Art de Vivre,
Scottish Highlander, Actief, Serenite and the Shannon Princess. Cruises
must be booked by March 31, 2002 to receive the discount.
Call your travel agent or 1-800-323-7308 or visit
www.abercrombiekent.com.
Cunard Line is offering savings of up to 50 percent,
free airfare and a $100 per cabin shipboard credit to guests who book
and deposit the Queen Elizabeth 2's six-day trans-Atlantic crossings by
March 31, 2002. The ship will sail alternating cruises from New York and
Southampton. Departure dates are May 12, 18 and 24 and June 14 and 20,
2002.
Rates begin at $1,099 per person/double occupancy.
Guests must mention fare code 170D.
Want to extend your European river cruise? KD River
Cruises of Europe is now offering land packages in six cities –
Amsterdam and Basel for the Rhine, Berlin and Prague on Elbe cruises and
Budapest and Passau on the Danube.
The packages, either one or two nights depending on the
city, can be added to either end or both ends of a KD sailing and
include breakfast, tax and service charges at the hotel, tours and
excursions.
Highlights of the tours and excursions included with
each package are:
Amsterdam – the Floriade in Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands, a
once-a-decade event, showcasing horticultural exhibits from 25
countries.
Basel – the Münster, Basel's 14th-century cathedral built of red
sand stone.
Berlin – Checkpoint Charlie, the remnants of the Berlin Wall and
the 15th-century Sanssouci Palace, Frederick the Great's summer
residence and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Budapest – a half-day excursion to the artist's colony of
Szentendre, a well-preserved Baroque village made up of colorful
red-roof houses, narrow alleyways and Orthodox churches.
Prague – dinner at a Bohemian restaurant and a performance at the
Laterna Magica, Black Theater or singing fountain or a concert.
Passau – a concert at the Cathedral of St. Stephen, site of the
world's largest pipe organ.
Per person/double occupancy rates depend on hotel choice and range in
price from $135 to $375.
East coast departures are on the rise, and
Celebrity Cruises has just announced a new one of their own. Beginning
in December 2002, the 1,870 Galaxy will offer 10- and 11-night Caribbean
cruises departing round-trip from Charleston, South Carolina.
Eleven-night departure dates include December 23,
2002, and January 13, February 3, and February 24, 2003, with ports of
call in Tortola, Antigua, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan and Nassau.
Galaxy's first
10-night Caribbean cruise departs Charleston on December 3, 2002, with
ports of call in Nassau, Tortola, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and San Juan.
Other 10-night itineraries depart on December 13, 2002, and January 3
and 24, February 14, and March 7, 2003, with ports of call in Nassau,
Belize, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Key West.
Fares for Celebrity's new Charleston-based sailings
start at $899 per person, double occupancy.
Princess Cruises has begun to offer its branded, Lotus
Spa program fleetwide.
Currently in place aboard the Grand Princess, Golden
Princess and new Star Princess the Asian-themed spa program offers an
atmosphere and treatments based on ancient therapies and rituals from
the Far East. Most of Princess' remaining ships will introduce the Lotus
Spa program by mid-March.
The expanded spa program features a variety of new
treatment options and a more comprehensive selection of health and
fitness offerings. Selections include a series of spa and beauty
treatments, including Chakra Stone Therapy, Asian Lotus Ritual (massage
with reflexology, reiki and shiatsu, plus Silk Booster Facial), Lime &
Ginger Salt Glow, and Wild Strawberry Back Cleanse.
Oxygenating facials, Lotus Massage, Deep Tissue Sports
Therapy Massage, and body wraps such as the Musclease Ocean Wrap or
Ionithermie Algae-Detox also are available. The spa's salon offers an
Exotic Hand Ritual and a Sole Delight Foot Treatment in addition to the
usual variety of manicure, pedicure and hair options.
For
active guests, the Lotus Spa's expanded fitness options include a more
extensive menu of exercise classes, more fitness instructors and gym
supervision, specialized fitness opportunities such as personal training
and consultation sessions, and a series of health and nutrition
seminars. The lineup includes aerobics, body conditioning and power
walking, but also offers new specialized classes including yoga,
Pilates, pulse cycling and KickBoXpress as well as body composition
analysis and a Chakra balancing capsule. Extended hours include
supervision between 7 am and 10 pm, while spa facilities and treatments
are available 12 hours each day.
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises
have made it possible for their guests to view flight itineraries 60
days prior to cruise departure and decide whether to use Custom Air
service to lock-in those flights or choose others. Itineraries not
secured with Custom Air are subject to change until the time of
ticketing, typically four weeks prior to sailing.
"This service gives travel agents and guests more time,
if needed, to adjust air arrangements prior to receiving cruise
documents," said Nick Hafner, vice president of Air/Sea. "By providing
guests their air itineraries earlier, agents and guests can decide if it
makes sense for them to take advantage of our Custom Air program."
Flight itineraries can be obtained 60 days prior to
departure through CruiseMatch, the cruise lines' automated booking tool
for travel agents, as well as most other automated booking tools, or by
contacting the reservations department at Royal Caribbean International
and Celebrity Cruises.
Custom Air can be planned up to 11 months in advance or
booked as little as seven days prior to North American sailings. By
utilizing Custom Air for a$50 administrative fee ($75 for international
sailings), guests can secure an existing itinerary or select other
flights and times. The service is free to Crown & Anchor Society members
at the Diamond and Platinum levels. There could be a bump-up fare on
certain flights.
RiverBarge Excursion Lines is offering $50 onboard credit per
stateroom to guests who book the River Explorer’s “Mouth of the
Mississippi River” cruise departing New Orleans on March 6, 2002; “Delta
South” from New Orleans to Memphis departing on March 27 and April 10;
and “Rivers to Rails” departing from Cincinnati on June 18.
Rates for the seven-day cruises begin at $2,080 per
person/double occupancy.
Couples Save $300 2/26/02 FAR&WIDE Travel
Corporation is offering two cruise-tour packages with savings of $150
per person/double occupancy to travelers wishing to explore Costa Rica
and the Panama Canal, or the Orinoco Delta and Tobago.
A nine-day cruise-tour on Le Levant will depart on
April 7, 2002. The trip begins with a one-night stay in Trinidad then
continues with the seven-night cruise along Venezuela's Orinoco Delta.
Rates start at $3,145.
A 10-day Costa Rica package, departing on March
26, 2002, will begin with a three-night land stay in San Jose.
Passengers will then board the Le Ponant for a six-night cruise with
visits to national parks, beaches and landmarks of Costa Rica, including
a transit of the Panama Canal, and stops in the San Blas Islands. Prices
start at $5,340.
Aggressor
Fleet is offering teen divers special training programs this year, with
the help of a professional staff of diving instructors to assist
students.
The yacht dive boat company is offering weeklong
training programs aboard the Bay Islands Aggressor IV from June 15-22
and June 22-29, 2002. Open-water certified divers ages 14 to 18 may
participate in the first week’s activities. In addition to diving,
sessions include an Advanced Open-water course, up to five specialty
courses, First Aid training, Rescue Diver training and plenty of diving.
Teens who have a Stress/Rescue Diver Certification may join
in the second week of Teen Camp and earn a Junior Divemaster
Certification from a national training agency.
On the seven-day excursions, divers will explore
Honduras’ reefs off the islands of Roatan, Guanaja, Utila and Cayos
Cochinos. The Bay Islands Teen Week charter rate is $2,095 king cabin
and $1,895 queen cabin, per person, double occupancy and includes all
courses, diving, meals and onboard accommodations. Rental dive gear and
underwater cameras also are available onboard.
For reservations, call your local dive shop, travel
professional or 1-800-348-2628, or visit
www.aggressor.com.
Radisson
Seven Seas Cruises is offering two-for-one rates and 50 percent off of
second-guest fares on select Radisson Diamond and Seven Seas Mariner
sailings in March and April. Guests who secure their deposits with a
credit card at the time of their booking also will receive shipboard
credits of $200 per stateroom/suite.
The following voyages are included:
Radisson Diamond
March 22, 27, April 9, five-night "Diamonds
of the Caribbean" voyage, roundtrip from San Juan, calling at Tortola,
St. Barts, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. Two-for-one prices start at
$1,198 per person.
Seven Seas Mariner
March 22, five-night "Four Flags in
the Caribbean" cruise, roundtrip from San Juan to St. Thomas, St.
John's, St. Barts and St. Maarten. Per person prices from $1,496
include 50% savings on second-guest fares.
March 27, six-night "Leeward Landfalls
and Virgin Adventures" voyage, roundtrip from San Juan to St. Thomas,
St. John's, St. Bart's, St. Maarten, and Virgin Gorda. Per person
prices from $1,721 include 50% savings on second-guest fares.
April 22, four-night "Caribbean
Sampler" voyage, from San Juan to Ft. Lauderdale, with calls at St.
Thomas and Nassau. Two-for-one prices start at $798 per guest.
Call your travel agent or 1-800-285-1835 or visit
www.rssc.com.
eWaterways.com is offering two all-inclusive packages
in France on select March departures. Both packages include a six-night
cruise, round-trip economy class airfare, transfers, and a two-night
hotel stay in Paris. On the 22-passenger eWaterways, the price is $1,999
per person/double occupancy. The cruise will sail through the Burgundy
region and visit Dijon, Clos de Vougeot and Chateauneuf.
The price for the package on the 50-passenger
Chardonnay is $2,199. The barge will sail from Lyon to Saint-Jean-de-Losne
and visit the Beaujolais, Tournus, Beaune and Dijon.
Would you
like to purchase timeshare on a cruise ship? Well, you can – and we’re
not talking about buying a condo on The World of ResidenSea.
EXA International, a Florida-based company specializing
in travel-related services, has purchased the defunct Premier Cruise
Lines’ Rembrandt and is selling Cruisesharesä
on the ship, through its subsidiary Romantic Cruise Line. The
550-stateroom vessel, which is currently undergoing a refurbishment in
Freeport, is set to enter service in May and will initially sail a
southern Caribbean itinerary.
Cruiseshares range in price from $10,500 to $27,000 per
stateroom, with annual maintenance fees between $770 and $1,200 per
couple for a seven-day share. The weeklong share also can be used as
shorter cruises adding up to a seven day total each year and also can be
sold, transferred, rented or loaned.
Each Cruiseshare includes a specific seven-day time period and a
designated stateroom or cabin category. Cruiseshare owners have the
option of using the specified time period or can cruise during a
different time period and also can trade a Cruiseshare for an
alternative time on the same Cruiseshared vessel, on other Cruiseshared
ships, or for a worldwide selection of land vacations through a
timeshare exchange company.
EXA plans to acquire
additional ships to expand Romantic Cruise Line’s fleet.
Holland America Line has expanded its "shipboard
romance" opportunities beyond the U.S. and Caribbean to include several
European ports where couples may arrange a wedding onboard one of the
line’s ships or in a location ashore, including such ports as Santorini,
Greece; Florence, Rome and Naples, Italy; and Stockholm, Sweden.
"The new European options are the latest addition to an
array of wedding, honeymoon, anniversary and renewal-of-vows packages
that fulfill the wishes of couples who want to celebrate special
romantic moments onboard one of Holland America's 11 premium cruise
ships," said David A. Giersdorf, senior vice president, marketing and
sales. "For our Europe cruise guests, this new wedding program opens up
a whole new array of choices that will add an extra touch of magic to
one of the most important occasions in a couple's life together."
European wedding packages start at $1,900, which
includes wedding planning, officiant, romantic recorded music, custom
wedding ceremony, wedding site, bride's bouquet and groom's boutonniere,
bottle of champagne, 10-inch wedding cake, photography service, wedding
photo album, keepsake certificate and 10 announcements. Additional
services, such as live music, are available to customize each wedding.
Onboard wedding packages are available in Ft.
Lauderdale, Acapulco, Barbados, San Juan, St. Thomas, Costa Rica,
Halifax, Juneau, Kona, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and Vancouver.
Other packages, including beach, garden or glacier weddings, also are
available.
The
delivery of the first resort community at sea has been delayed. The
World of ResidenSea, will now begin her maiden voyage from Oslo,
Norway on March 7, 2002, with the ship's christening to take place on
April 19 in New York City. The ship was originally scheduled to depart
on February 25.
Residents of the 110 apartments will move into their
new homes in Oslo on March 6, and the first passengers her 88 guest
suites will board in London on March 12. The ship will then arrive in
its first U.S. port of call, Ft. Lauderdale, on March 24. From there,
The World will visit Bridgetown, Ft. Lauderdale, Nassau,
Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, Boston, Cape Cod, Newport and head to
New York City for the christening.
Effective immediately, Carnival Cruise Lines has
adjusted the amount of money that each passenger must deposit when
booking cruises – and in most cases the rate has increased.
The following deposits must be paid 60 days prior to
departure in order to secure confirmed accommodations: $50 for two-day
cruises; $100 for three-day sailings; $150 on four-day cruises; and $200
on five-day sailings. Two- to five-day cruises previously required a
$100 deposit.
Rates for six- and seven-day cruises have remained the
same, at $250, which must be paid 70 days prior to sailing. The
eight-day voyage deposit rate has increased from $250 to $300, and also
must be paid 70 days out.
Passengers sailing on cruises 10 days or longer will
now deposit $400, 75 days prior to sailing, as opposed to the previous
$300 rate. Alaska cruises also must be deposited 75 days in advance. The
rate has jumped $50 to $350.
Carnival accepts American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and the Discover
card for all cruise payments.
Cruise West has made the decision to take the
78-passenger Spirit of Alaska out of Alaska this summer, and keep her
laid up in Seattle.
“We made this decision (to remove her from Alaska
service) because in the fall, we found it difficult to predict what our
booking patterns would be,” said Cruise West spokesperson Maureen
Camandona. “Like other cruise lines, the beginning of our main booking
season was atypically slow.”
The 102-guest Spirit of Endeavour will operate the
Spirit of Alaska’s “Secluded Waterways” all-Alaska itinerary that sails
between Ketchikan and Juneau. Port calls include Petersburg, Metlakatla,
Skagway, Haines, Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan, along with scenic cruising
in Glacier Bay, and Misty Fjords National Monument.
The Spirit of Endeavour was originally scheduled to
operate Cruise West’s “Explorers’ Route” cruises between Seattle and
Juneau. The Spirit of ’98 and the Spirit of Discovery will now operate
those itineraries.
“Bookings for January and February are extremely
strong,” said Camandona. “In fact, both months are outpacing January and
February 2001, which was a record year for us.”
Cruise West fully expects to operate all of its seven
vessels in Alaska in 2003.
Norwegian
Cruise Line has been dealing with some rough waters in Hawaii. Last
month the line announced that the Norwegian Star would be calling
at Hilo instead of visiting the
scheduled
call at Kona on its Hawaii cruises through March 21, 2002. But that's
not all. The line has made two more changes.
Instead of calling at Lahaina, Maui, the Norwegian
Star will stop at Kahului, Maui on Fridays through May 3, 2002.
Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL, gave the same reasons for this
change as he did the previous one: lack of sufficient shore side tender
support in the originally scheduled port, and of course, inclement
weather.
Guests will still be able to go on their pre-booked
excursions in Lahaina and the line will operate free shuttle service
between Lahaina and Kahului.
NCL also has decided to discontinue all seven-day Maui
sailings because of complications embarking and disembarking in Lahaina,
which is a tendering port. Beginning on August 16, the Norwegian
Star will operate the cruises from Honolulu -- not Maui.
The line is offering guest currently booked and
deposited on any of the cancelled Maui embarkation sailings a
four-category upgrade or up to a two-category upgrade for those booked
in oceanview staterooms. NCL also is offering rate protection on any
other seven-day round-trip Honolulu sailing aboard the Norwegian Star
(except fro Christmas and New Year's).
If you are booked on any of these cruises, and haven't
made a deposit -- contact your travel agent that made the booking, or
call Norwegian Cruise Line at 1-800-327-7030, or else NCL will
automatically cancel your booking.
Crown Blue Line is offering early booking savings on
any new 2002 Holland reservations made by March 20, 2002, with rates
beginning at $875 for a weeklong boat rental, (or $175 per person). The
self-skippered boating company is offering a 15 percent discount on the
Princess Sheba boat (sleeps five) and a 10 percent discount on all other
boats. An additional 5 percent discount is offered for Monday start
dates.
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises is offering some
extra perks to its guests of the Seven Seas Navigator's World Cruise. On
segments four and five of the 105-night World Cruise, passengers will
receive a complimentary three-night pre-cruise extension with an African
safari offered before the 14-night Cape Town to Rio voyage on April 7,
2002, or an Iguazu Falls tour prior to the 14-night April 21, Rio to Ft.
Lauderdale cruise. Free Economy Air is included, with low-cost roundtrip
Business Class upgrades available for $999 (April 7) and $499 (April 21)
per person. Per person prices for the 14-night April 7 voyage begin at
$8,275, while rates for the 14-night April 21 voyage begin at $4,571.
The line also is offering extra savings to those who
opt to combine both 14-night sailings for an April 7, 28-night journey
from Cape Town to Ft. Lauderdale. In addition to the pre-cruise
three-night safari in South Africa, guests will receive free Business
Class air to South Africa from any of 83 gateways and a $500 per couple
shipboard credit. For either of the voyages, guests who book and deposit
on the same day will receive a $200 per couple shipboard credit. Prices
for the voyage start at $10,525 per person.
Special onboard guests include, Ted Koppel,
anchor/managing editor of ABC News' Nightline; Dick Thornburgh, two-term
Pennsylvania governor and attorney general under Presidents Bush and
Reagan; and Larry Hagman, star of Dallas and "Master" in I Dream of
Jeannie, will mingle with guests and discuss highlights of their
eventful careers. Call your travel agent or 800-285-1835 or visit
www.rssc.com. back to the top
Holland America Line is offering new pre-cruise land
tours to guests who book the Amsterdam’s 2002 Alaska cruises. The tours
range from one to four nights and visit Seattle and Western Washington,
with some options to Portland, Oregon or into Eastern Washington.
All of the land packages start with an overnight stay
at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle and include a tour of the
Seattle area. Seven pre-cruise options range from one to four-night
packages and cost from $195 to $625 per person/double occupancy.
Options include a one-night “Seattle and Tillicum
Village” tour; a two-night “Seattle Classic with Mt. Rainier”; a
three-night “Seattle/Mt. St. Helens/Mt. Rainier” option; a three-night
“Seattle and Olympic Loop”; a three-night “Seattle and Cascade Loop”
excursion; and a four night “Seattle and Columbia Gorge” package.
The tours return guests to Seattle to board the
Amsterdam for their seven-day cruise to Alaska. Sailings begin on May
18, 2002, and will visit Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan, and
Victoria. Call your travel agent or 1-877-724-5425 or visit
www.hollandamerica.com.
When Carnival introduced the smoke-free Paradise, the
line’s executives mildly dismissed speculation that a week-long cruise
on the ship would provide a great way for people to quit smoking. The
rigid no-tobacco policy onboard Paradise – even having smoking materials
in your stateroom can get you kicked off the ship – might be too much
for people struggling to “kick the habit,” they suggested.
Now, however, Carnival Cruise Lines, the American Lung
Association of Connecticut (ALAC) and Manchester Community College have
teamed up to offer a series of "Quit Smoking Caribbean Cruises" aboard
the Paradise. The key here is that the seven-day cruises are
incorporated into ALAC's comprehensive seven-session Freedom From
Smoking program.
The program comprises three Paradise sailings from
Miami – on September 15, October 13 and December 1, 2002 – will feature
on-board smoking-cessation clinics and seminars conducted by the ALAC's
trained experts. The clinics utilize positive behavior modification
strategies to help smokers develop their own "quitting plan," adjust to
recovery symptoms, manage stress through proven relaxation techniques
and fight the urge to resume smoking.
Prior to taking the cruise, participants must enroll in
the Freedom From Smoking program and attend the first and second
sessions in their geographic areas to lay the groundwork for quitting
smoking. Sessions three and four – when smokers actually stop smoking –
will be held during the Paradise cruise. The remaining sessions take
place following the voyage to reinforce long-term maintenance and
behavior modification strategies.
Smokers who want to kick the habit while they’re
kicking up their heels on a Caribbean cruise can book the cruise and the
quit-smoking program through their travel agents.
A chilled bottle
of Piper Heidsieck champagne in their suites has traditionally greeted
those lucky souls setting sail on the Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit
and Seabourn Legend. Starting in June, Seabourn Cruise Line will extend
that custom, offering complimentary bubbly from the famous French
champagne maker to its guests throughout their cruises.
The line’s new
alliance with Heidsieck & Co., which has supplied champagne to royalty
throughout Europe since 1785, brings a regal flair to the line’s already
supremely luxurious cruises. It also marks the latest in a series of
refinements the line has implemented to enhance the Yachts of Seabourn
experience.
Seabourn
introduced complimentary fine wines and spirits, exclusive shoreside
experiences and free mini-massages on deck throughout its fleet last
year. Further refinements announced for 2002 include menus created by
renowned chef Charlie Palmer and Seabourn's “Pure Pampering” program,
featuring bathing and well-being products by Molton Brown, London.
After a winter
of incredible bargains, cruise prices have begun to rise again as cruise
lines set booking records in the first weeks of 2002. A sampling of
lines’ “Wave Season” business by Cruise Lines International Association
found several posting record reservation volumes in January, and most
have responded with higher fares.
Cruise prices
were already starting to inch up in late 2001, but the January boom has
helped accelerate the rise to the point that advertised entry-level
rates for some popular itineraries have been leaping $100 per person or
more per week. A case in point: an Alaska cruise advertised on a cruise
discount web site for $694 on January 16 appeared on the same web site a
week later at the new price of $833.
There are, of
course, those who are still betting that the bargains will return after
the pent-up demand subsides, but right now there’s no indication that is
likely to happen. The one certainty, however, remains that the big
winners sailing in 2002 will be the people who booked their cruise
vacations last October.
FAR&WIDE is
offering rates beginning at $1,999 on its “Hellenic Classic” departures
in Greece. The package includes three-nights in Athens, five days
touring the sites of Argolis, Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora, a four-day
cruise to the Greek Islands and Turkey on a Royal Olympic Cruises ship,
and round-trip airfare from New York. The cruise will visit Mykonos,
Patmos, Rhodes, Santorini and Piraeus.
The offer
applies to departures from April through October 2002 that are booked
and deposited by February 28.
As part of its onboard
enrichment programming Crystal Cruises has set five musically-themed
cruises in four different destinations from April through October 2002.
A roster of entertainers and music professionals aboard Crystal Harmony
and Crystal Symphony will perform a variety of musical styles, including
classical, jazz and blues, Big Band and '70s pop. Guest speakers and
screenings of relevant films and documentaries will also be a highlight
of the cruises.
Classical Music
will be the focus of the Crystal Symphony’s 16-day Panama Canal cruise
from Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale, departing April 27. Philharmonia
Virtuosi, the resident Classical Music Orchestra of New York's
Metropolitan Museum of Art, will perform works conducted by Musical
Director and Conductor Richard Kapp. Kapp also will give a series of
lectures on the history of classical music. Director and choreographer
Kevin Carlisle also will be on board to share his production experience
of more than 500 television series, specials and stage productions.
Prices begin at $4,455.
Soloists and
Chamber Orchestras from The Juilliard School of Music will offer full
evening concerts, matinee recitals, and tea-time performances on the
Crystal Harmony’s 12-day Alaska sailing, round-trip San Francisco,
departing on September 2. Fares begin at $2,975.
An 11-day Jazz & Blues
cruise from Acapulco to New Orleans on the Crystal Harmony will depart
on October 16. Tom Hook and the Terrier Brothers will perform concerts
and dance sets of jazz and the blues while the ship cruises to New
Orleans. Vocalist and pianist Yve Evans also will perform her one-woman
shows. Each evening, the ship’s nightclub will be transformed into a
jazz venue. Jazz-related films and documentaries, and guest speakers
will explore the roots of this music. Rates begin at $2,820.
The Crystal
Symphony’s nine-day Big Band, trans-Atlantic crossing will sail from Ft.
Lauderdale to London on May 13. This sailing will feature The Glenn
Miller Orchestra. Big Band vocalist Beryl Davis, who toured with the
original Glenn Miller Orchestra and Django Reinhardt and Les Brown, also
will be aboard. Fares begin at $2,310.
The Crystal
Harmony will host a 70’s theme cruise, sailing from San Francisco to
Acapulco, on October 8. The eight-day cruise will feature a
to-be-announced '70s-era artist or group to get revelers into the groove
with the decade's top dance hits. On one night, the main show lounge
will be transformed into "Studio 54." Prices start at $1,995.
All rates are
per person/double occupancy. Call your travel agents or 1-800-820-6663
or visit www.crystalcruises.com.
Princess Cruises
has expanded its "Double Early Booking Discount" promotion for Alaska
cruises and cruisetours until February 14, 2002. The previous deadline
was January 31.
Discounted fares
are available on all Gulf of Alaska cruises and for select dates on all
of the company's 56 cruisetour options. Cruise fares begin at $799 per
person/double occupancy for a seven-day Alaska voyage and $1,499 for an
11-day cruisetour.
Call your travel
agent number or 1-800-421-1700 or visit
www.princess.com.
Radisson Seven
Seas Cruises is hosting a “Tribute to Beatles” cruise onboard the Seven
Seas Mariner’s seven-night cruise from Lisbon to Southampton departing
on June 13, 2002.
Joe Johnson,
host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Beatle Brunch” (which airs
every Sunday) will be aboard, along with other Beatles experts. Joe and
his associates will host a Beatles night in the nightclub, along with
events such as Beatles Trivia and look-alike contests, with special
prizes. During the cruise there will be performances by Revolution, a
renowned Beatles tribute band.
An exclusive
Beatles post-cruise tour also has been arranged for guests as follows:
June 20:
Disembark in Southampton and fly to Manchester then transfer to
Liverpool and the Marriott Hotel. The evening offers a live musical
event at the Cavern Club, followed by a traditional English pub dinner.
June 21: Magical
Mystery Tour of the famous sights of the Beatles’ Liverpool. Visit Sir
Paul McCartney’s private art exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery.
Travel First Class to London by train and transfer to the Langham Hilton
Hotel for a two-night stay.
June 22: Take a
Beatles sites-of-London bus tour, including the Abbey Road Studios.
June 23: Depart
for home.
Fares start at
$3,595 per guest/double occupancy. Call your travel agent or
1-800-285-1835 or visit www.rssc.com
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