Food & Wine Themed Med Cruise Aboard Seabourn Odyssey

Many travel agents, like Eric Goldring of Goldring Travel, are fans of the Yachts of Seabourn. Mr. Goldring has been hosting an annual food and wine cruise aboard Seabourn vessels for several years.

Seabourn Odyssey is the host vessel in 2010 and there are still three staterooms available for this group Mediterranean cruise that embarks Piraeus (Athens), Greece on Saturday, November 13.

Guests enjoy three complimentary experiences:

• Goldring Travel's Exclusive Complimentary Food & Wine Event
• Shopping with the Seabourn Chef
  
• Unannounced experiences and benefits
  

Here's the full itinerary:

November 13: Piraeus (Athens), Greece
November 14: Patmos, Greece
November 15: Heraklion, Crete, Greece
November 16: Pylos, Greece
November 17: Cruising the Ionian Sea
November 18: Catania, Sicily, Italy
November 19: Valletta, Malta
November 20: Trapani, Sicily, Italy
November 21: Naples, Italy
November 22: disembark in Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Goldring Travel is offering this cruise for less than $3,750 per person, including all fees and taxes. There are just three staterooms available.

For more information, contact Eric Goldring of Goldring Travel at (877) 2GO-LUXURY.

Video: This Looks Magical—Festa del Redentore in Venice with Crystal Cruises

Got any plans for the third weekend of July 2010? If not, join Crystal Cruises in Venice, Italy, as Crystal Serenity experiences one of Italy's most entrancing festivals, the Festa del Redentore.

This annual celebration dates back to 1577 when the city was finally rid of a plague that killed many of its citizens. The festival also marked groundbreaking of Palladio's "Redentore" (Redeemer) Church on the Island of the Giudecca. (The church was also built to commemorate the end of the plague.)

Over the years, the festival grew from one of religious significance to one that also now includes a more secular celebration in the way of a 30-minute fireworks extravaganza. Today, thousands of visitors flock to Venice for this festival. Small boats, often decorated with balloons, head to St. Mark's Bay and the Giudecca Canal in anticipation of the fireworks show that begins at 11:30 pm.

This summer, Crystal Serenity will have the best seat in the house for this amazing spectacle as she overnights in Venice. Guests will be treated to a champagne reception, local entertainment, a sumptuous Venetian dinner, and views of the fireworks from the open deck.

“Venice is one of the most magical cities in the world; to be there during this festival adds yet another layer to the authentic experience that our guests seek and expect with a Crystal vacation,” says Thomas Mazloum, senior vice president, hotel operations. “We’re thrilled to be a part of the celebration and to offer our guests more time to immerse themselves in the culture.”

This cruise begins on July 7, 2010 in Athens, Greece and visits Santorini, Crete, and Patmos Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; Kotor, Montenegro; Split, Croatia; and Venice, Italy.

Two-for one cruise fares start at $6,465 per person, double occupancy. Complimentary air transportation from more than 20 North American gateways, including Business Class air for Penthouse guests, plus a $1,000 per person ‘All Inclusive–As You Wish’ shipboard credit are included.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact your travel agent, call 1-(888) 799-4625, or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Video courtesy of YouTube user Leifleo35121

My Personal Cruise Rating System: 10 Areas to Judge

Rating cruise ships is tough to do because the reader always wants a comparison to a ship they are familiar with. However, very few travelers have sailed on every ship at sea so there's often no way to offer apple-to-apple comparisons.

I've been lucky enough to sail with many cruise lines, including American Safari Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, NCLA (Hawaii with an American crew), NCL, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Windstar Cruises, and the Yachts of Seabourn.

Even with all those sailings under my belt though, it's still not easy to draft a comprehensive review that explains just why I loved one experience and not another. So, while I was thinking about that, I drafted a list of general things I prefer when cruising. Sharing this list may give you the baseline from which I judge all the voyages I discuss here at Luxury Cruise Bible.

My Personal Cruise Rating System: 10 Areas to Judge

1. Ship Size & Design
   I intrinsically prefer small ships (under 200 passengers) but I have enjoyed the experience aboard much larger vessels. In those cases, ship design is very important.
   
   
2. Uncompromising Service
   In my opinion, excellent service should never be effusive or overwrought. I embrace friendly and consistent attention from the crew.
   
   
3. Relaxed Atmosphere / No Formal Nights
   Some cruisers will totally disagree with me on this one: I don't care for formal nights so I give higher marks to ships with a more relaxed dress code. Country club casual works for me.
   
   
4. Cuisine
   Inventive menus and variety are very important to me. Catering to special diets (gluten-free, sugar-free, etc.) also means a lot. There should be plenty of salads available at lunch, desserts must be exquisite, and the cheese board selection should be enticing.
   
   
5. Provisions
   A chef can only do so much with the provisions he or she receives. I place special emphasis on the quality of provisions (food and wine) a ship receives.
   
   
6. Open Seating
   Open seating gets the nod because I like the freedom of deciding when I dine and with whom.
   
   
7. Passenger Demographics
   I love meeting people from all over the world so I appreciate a ship that caters to foreign travelers.
   
   
8. Unusual Shore Excursions
   Exciting and educational shore excursions can set a cruise line apart from its competitors. Lines offering interesting and unusual land components get a high five.
   
   
9. Internet Access
   In this day and age, there is no reason for poor and/or expensive Internet service aboard a cruise ship (especially if the vessel is new).
   
   
10. Cruise Fare
    "Would I pay more for the next cruise on this ship than I did this time around?" It's a question I ask every time I disembark a ship and the answer cuts through all of the above points. Will I put my money where my mouth is?

How do you judge a cruise vacation? I'd love to hear what's important to you when it comes to luxury cruising.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com