Crystal's 2009 Half-Price Itineraries Announced

It's vacation planning time! Most cruise lines recently unveiled their 2009 itineraries and Crystal Cruises is no different. Visit their website now and you'll find descriptions of all 2009 voyages.

Crystal also just issued its list of "Value Collection" sailings. These 50% off itineraries are generally only offered during shoulder season or on repositioning cruises, but in 2009 Crystal has expanded its list to include the Panama Canal, South America, the Med, New England/Canada, the Caribbean, and the Amazon.

If you haven't sailed Crystal before, one of these voyages may be the ideal entrée. Bill Smith, Crystal's senior vice president of sales and marketing, agrees: "With Value Collection, travelers can enjoy Crystal's superb service and luxurious amenities at significant savings. This offers a great opportunity to experience Crystal Cruises and understand why we've been voted world's best by travelers more than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort."

The itineraries offering up to 50% savings in 2009 are:

Panama Canal/Caribbean/Amazon
* February 16, Miami to Los Angeles, 14 days. From $3,595 on Crystal Symphony.
* May 7, Los Angeles to Miami, 16 days. From $4,995 on Crystal Serenity.
* November 22, Round-trip Miami, 7 days. From $2,480 on Crystal Serenity.
* November 22, Miami to Manaus, 13 days. From $3,990 on Crystal Symphony.
* November 29, Miami to Caldera, 11 days. From $3,775 on Crystal Serenity.
* December 10, Caldera to Miami, 11 days. From $3,775 on Crystal Serenity.

Western Europe/Mediterranean
* June 2, Lisbon to Venice, 12 days. From $5,070 on Crystal Serenity.
* June 7, Rome to London, 12 days. From $4,360 on Crystal Symphony.

New England/Canada
* October 1, Boston to Montréal, 7 days. From $2,575 on Crystal Symphony.
* October 30, Montréal to New York, 11 days. From $3,835 on Crystal Symphony.

Ocean Crossings
* March 9, Los Angeles to Hong Kong, 17 days. From $3,690 on Crystal Symphony.
* May 23, Miami to Lisbon, 10 days. From $3,540 on Crystal Serenity.
* November 12, Lisbon to Miami, 10 days. From $3,540 on Crystal Serenity.

For more information, contact your travel agent or call Crystal Cruises at 888-799-4625.

25k American Aadvantage Miles with Silversea

American Airlines Cruises is running a promotion that will net you 25,000 Aadvantage frequent flyer miles if you book select 2008 Alaskan or European cruise itineraries.

Alaskan Voyages
9 nights aboard the Silver Shadow (Vancouver, BC roundtrip)
August 1 and 27, 2008 (starting at $5,515pp)

10 nights aboard the Silver Shadow (San Francisco to Vancouver, BC)
July 13, 2008 (starting at ($5,940pp)

European Voyages
Scandinavia: 12 nights aboard the Silver Wind
July 2, 2008 (starting at $7,102pp)

Western Europe: 12 nights aboard the Silver Cloud
August 31, 2008 (starting at $7,461pp)

Baltics: 10 nights aboard the Silver Wind
July 16, 2008 (starting at $8,260pp)
August 19, 2008 (starting at $8,260pp)

British Isles: 12 nights aboard the Silver Wind
August 29, 2008 (starting at $9,925pp)

North Cape: 15 nights aboard the Silver Wind
July 21, 2008 (starting at $10,196pp)

Northern Europe: 15 nights aboard the Silver Cloud
August 5, 2008 (starting at $11,596pp)

To learn more about American Airlines Cruises or make a reservation, call 1-877-367-6070.

The Cruise Doc Dance! Alaska or Bust!

At the end of May, we decided to book a last-minute Alaska cruise and selected American Safari Cruises' Safari Spirit. The seven-night itinerary starting on June 21, dubbed Naturalists' Whale Country, embarks from Petersburg and winds through the Inside Passage to Juneau. Our documents arrived today and the trip is suddenly seeming very real!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with American Safari Cruises, they've been around for about ten years and cater to sophisticated travelers who prefer intimate yachts and hidden anchorages instead of huge multi-deck cruise ships and the more mainstream port towns of Skagway and Ketchikan.

The Safari Spirit, at 105 feet, is one of the company's mid-size vessels. Maximum guest capacity is 12 with a crew of five or six. (ASC's other yachts include the 36-passenger Safari Explorer, the 22-guest Safari Quest, the 12-guest Safari Escape, and the 6-guest Safari Legacy.)

The journey begins in Petersburg and heads through "glacier country" before swinging around the southernmost tip of Admiralty Island, cruising past Red Bluff Cove and Tenakee Hot Springs, and then crossing the Icy Strait to Juneau.

The yacht sails during the day and drops anchor each evening in protected coves and fjords that the large cruise ships will never be able to access. We booked a Mariner suite, the lowest category stateroom. It's outfitted with a queen bed, port holes, and bathroom with both a shower and Jacuzzi tub.

We were drawn to ASC by the nearly all-inclusive nature of cruise fare, which includes meet and greet services and transfers to and from the airport; shore excursions; all meals aboard the yacht; premium wine, beer, and liquor; kayaking and small-boat exploration; an onboard naturalist; and all taxes, port charges, and fees. What's not included is your airfare, travel insurance, and crew gratuities. (The suggested tip is 5 to 10% of your cruise fare.)

We also fell in love with the idea of exploring Southeast Alaska with a very small group of likeminded individuals. A naturalist travels on each itinerary and spends each day showing passengers the beauty of our 49th state. Daily activities aboard ASC yachts include kayaking, small-boat (skiff, Zodiac-like) excursions, hiking old-growth forests, whale watching, and much more.

We can't wait to embark on the Safari Spirit in June and we'll be sure to document our trip here on this blog. Stay tuned! —Andrea

Photo courtesy of American Safari Cruises