Silversea Announces 2008 Silver Sailing Savings

Once again in 2008, Silversea will offer savings of up to 50% on the cruise fare of more than 55 voyages visiting Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Far East, South Pacific, Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Alaska, and the Pacific Coast. The dates have just been announced and are available for a limited time.

Here are few examples of the Silver Sailing savings (fares listed are per person based on double occupancy for a Vista Suite and do not include port charges):

Africa and Arabian Peninsula
Silver Cloud departs February 7, 2008 on a 9-day voyage (#1804) from Mombasa to Mahe with calls in Lamu, Kenya; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Dzaoudzi, Mayotte; and the Seychelles islands of Farquhar and Desroches. Silver Sailing fares start at $2,747 (50% savings).

Silver Cloud departs February 23, 2008 on a 14-day voyage (#1806) from Mahe to Dubai with calls in Oman's port cities of Salalah, Muscat and Khasab; Fujairah and Abu Dhabi in the UAE; the Seychelles island of Praslin; Doha, Qatar; and Bahrain. Silver Sailing fares start at $5,097 (40% savings).

Mediterranean and Atlantic Isles

Silver Wind departs May 4, 2008 on a 9-day voyage (#2814) from Las Palmas to Lisbon with calls in the Canary Islands, Azores, Funchal (Madeira) and Oporto. Silver Sailing fares start at $3,747 (50% savings).

Silver Whisper departs June 15, 2008 on a 7-day voyage (#4817) from Rome to Monte Carlo with calls in Tripoli, Malta, Sicily, Sorrento and Sardinia. Silver Sailing fares start at $3,657 (40% savings).

Northern Europe and Baltic

Silver Cloud departs July 26, 2008 on a 10-day voyage (#1822) from Stockholm to Copenhagen with calls in Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Rostock, and Arhus (Denmark), plus a three-day, two-night stopover in St. Petersburg. Silver Sailing fares start at $5,637 (40% savings).

Alaska and Pacific Coast

Silver Shadow departs September 5, 2008 on a 12-day voyage (#3822) from Vancouver to Los Angeles cruising Alaska's Inside Passage and port cities of Wrangell, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan; Victoria in British Colombia; and San Francisco. Silver Sailing fares start at $4,797 (40% savings).

Caribbean and Mexico

Silver Shadow departs May 16, 2008 on a 15-day Panama Canal crossing (#3811) from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles with calls in San Andres Island, Costa Rica, San Juan del Sur and the Mexican ports of Huatulco, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta. Silver Sailing fares start at $4,917 (40% savings).

Silver Shadow departs December 3, 2008 on a 9-day voyage (#3829) from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados with calls in Tortola, Antigua, St. Lucia, Bequia and Grenada. Silver Sailing fares start at $3,237 (40% savings).

Far East and South Pacific

Silver Whisper departs December 4, 2008 on a 16-day voyage (#4838) from Singapore to Sydney with calls in Kura Kura and Bali, Indonesia and the Australian ports of Darwin, Thursday Island, Cairns, Whitsunday Islands and Brisbane. Silver Sailing fares start at $5,747 (50% savings).

South America

Silver Cloud departs December 11, 2008 on an 8-day voyage (#1835) from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires with calls in Paraty, Sao Paulo and Imbituba, Brazil and Uruguay's Punta del Este and Montevideo. Silver Sailing fares start at $3,477 (40% savings).

Additional Savings Programs from Silversea include:

• Early Booking Incentive (EBI)—up to 35% off the cruise fare
• Advance Payment Bonus (APB)—5% when paying the final balance six months prior to your sail date; combinable with eBI
• Venetian Society Savings—5 to 10% for past Silversea guests; combinable with EBI and APB
• Onboard Savings—save 5% when booking a future cruise while onboard a Silversea vessel
• Extended Cruise Savings—save 5% when booking back-to-back cruises

*Savings are capacity controlled and subject to availability.

Silversea cruise ships offer ocean-view accommodations, most with private veranda, fine dining, personalized service, Italian hospitality, and Silversea’s unique all-inclusive shipboard amenities, including complimentary beverages, wines, and spirits served throughout the ship; 24-hour room service; stocked in-suite beverage cabinet; and all gratuities.

For more information on Silversea Cruises, contact your travel agent. For a complimentary brochure, please call toll-free (877) 215-9986 or visit www.silversea.com.

Panama Canal photo courtesy of Silversea.

Hawaiian Cruise Blog Coming This September

Sometimes you pick a cruise vacation because you adore the cruise line itself. Other times, your destination trumps your line preference and selects the ship for you. That's what recently happened to my husband and I when we set out to book our upcoming Hawaiian cruise.

We're visiting this Polynesian paradise in September and decided that a cruise would allow for stress-free island hopping for seven days. Yes, yes, we know that seven days isn't nearly enough time to fully explore the magic of "Aloha." Unfortunately, our schedules don't permit additional days out of the office right now so our decision was made by default. While we generally sail with one of the luxury lines like Regent Seven Seas or Windstar, for this tropical getaway we'll be sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line America on the Pride of America.

NCLA is the only line currently sailing inter-island itineraries (Oahu, the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai). There are other premium and deluxe options but you must embark from Los Angeles (Princess) or San Diego (Royal Caribbean and Celebrity) or Ensenada, Mexico (Celebrity). That's all well and good, but we just don't have time to spend five days at sea before breathing the sweet Hawaiian air that's so often perfumed with Plumeria.

After reading dozens of ship reviews—the glowing, the neutral, and the rants—we decided to go for it. We're going into this knowing the experience isn't meant to compete in terms of service and amenities with a voyage aboard, say, a SeaDream vessel. But, we have made plans in a way that should maximize our vacation time and provide some of the key services that are important to us on any cruise (priority embarkation, balcony accommodations, butler/concierge service, and in-room Internet access). To that end, we selected an AB Deluxe Penthouse and we're really looking forward to soaking in the hot tub on our private balcony as we sail the Na'pali coast!

During the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about our upcoming cruise and, once we hit Hawaii, I hope to post on a daily basis (or at the very least, upload a few choice photos of the islands). A full cruise report will be posted upon our return.

If you've subscribed to this blog for automated delivery or visit from time to time, you've probably done so since you're a fan of the luxury cruise lines. While this experience won't focus on those companies, I hope you'll find something of interest in my reporting from Hawaii.

To subscribe to receive my blog postings automatically to your email in-box, type your email address in the box in the upper right corner and click "Subscribe."

And, of course, if you've got any advice for our Hawaii trip, please click on the "Comments" link at the end of this post! (If you're reading this as an email message, you'll need to visit http://luxurycruisebible.blogspot.com in order to post your comments.) I'm especially interested in your experiences at any of Alan Wong's restaurants, Maui's Road to Hana, and the Feast at Lele (also on Maui).

Happy cruising!

Photo courtesy of NCLA.

Top 10 Value Sailings on Crystal This Fall

For the past few months, Crystal Cruises has emphasized what they call the "exceptional value" of their itineraries combined with a vast array of services and amenities. To underscore that assertion, the line just announced a "top 10" list of ways to snag a Crystal itinerary at a great price in 2007 or 2008. Whether you're considering an exotic Far East cruise or a closer-to-home Caribbean experience, Crystal probably has an itinerary to match your vacation preferences. Review Crystal's list of ways to save; it just may convince you to add yet another cruise getaway to your calendar.

My own Crystal "dream" cruise has to be the October 6, 2007 "Temples of Gods & Pharaohs" sailing. In just 11 days Crystal's Serenity whisks guests from Istanbul to Kusadasi in Turkey before visiting Rhodes, Greece. The next port of call is Alexandria, Egypt and the adventure finally winds down in Santorini and Athens, Greece. (There's a nice Crystal Society savings on that particular itinerary, by the way.)

For other excellent values, see Crystal's Top 10 list below:

1. Save Up to 48% on Select 2007 Fall Mediterranean Cruises
Offer is valid on six late August and fall 11- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages aboard Crystal Serenity. Cruises depart from Venice, Monte Carlo, Athens, Istanbul and Rome. Fares start at $3,890.

2. Save $1,000 Per Couple on 2007 Thanksgiving Voyages
This November, guests can save $500 per person in most stateroom categories—including verandahs—on voyages through the Panama Canal and Caribbean aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.

3. Kids Sail Free on 2007 Thanksgiving Voyages
Along with Crystal's family-friendly activities and supervised junior activities program, kids eleven and under will sail free when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare adults. Plus, Crystal Serenity has just increased its third berth capacity by 15%, offering more choices for families. Travelers can save up to 60% off brochure fares. Fares start at $2,195.

4. 2007 and 2008 Value Collection
The Value Collection offers savings of up to 52% on three applicable 2007 cruises that sail through the Panama Canal, Mediterranean, and Caribbean. Crystal's 2008 Value Collection features 11 diverse sailings of 10 to 17 days through the Panama Canal, South America, the Mediterranean, Western Europe, Caribbean, and a Trans-Pacific voyage from Los Angeles to Hong Kong.

5. Save Up to 20%—2008 Western Europe
For new bookings made before September 14, 2007, guests can save 20% on all Deluxe Stateroom accommodations (including verandah staterooms) and 10% on all Penthouse
accommodations aboard Crystal Symphony's 13-day Western European voyage departing May 25, 2008 from Athens to London. Fares start at $3,995.

6. Save 20% on 2008 Europe "Combo" Cruises
Travelers seeking a longer cruise experience in Europe can save 20% on all categories of staterooms and suites for new bookings made before September 14, 2007 when combining Crystal Symphony's May 25 Athens to London cruise with the cruise prior or cruise following. The combination cruises offer guests a 27-day exploration of Egypt, the Mediterranean, and Western Europe, or a 24-day journey from Greece to the Baltic Sea, at savings ranging from $1,000 to $2,530 per person. Combine all three voyages for a 38-day cruise adventure and receive total savings of $3,840 per person.

7. Onboard Booking Savings
All guests who book a future cruise on board receive between 4% and 4.5% off their next cruise.

8. Book 180 days in Advance
All guests will receive a discount of 3.5% when they pay in full six months in advance.

9. Crystal Society Savings
Not only do returning Crystal cruisers automatically save between 3% and 4% on their next cruise, but they can enjoy additional savings that range from shipboard credits, gifts, and parties to stateroom upgrades and an 11-day free cruise in a Crystal Penthouse.

Additionally, Crystal Society members who sail on Crystal Serenity's Mediterranean voyages departing July 19, July 31, or August 24 in 2008 will receive a $150 per member shipboard credit if booked by October 15, 2007.

10. Special Singles Fare
Starting fares for single travelers are just 125% of the applicable double occupancy fare.

For further details, contact your travel agent or Crystal Cruises.

Logo courtesy of Crystal Cruises.