All About Cruises » Theme Cruises

A Prairie Home Companion Cruise

Evan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:11 +0000

You might think of A Prairie Home Companion as a live radio show hosted by Garrison Keillor, and that’s because it is. What you might not know is that there is A Prairie Home Companion cruise that has set sail several times in years past, generally in the summer. There will be A Prairie Home Companion cruise in 2012, as Keillor and company – consisting of a group of historians, naturalists, and musicians, as well as the guests who care to join them – take an 11-day European cruise at the end of August, from the 18th to the 29th.

In addition to proving that Keillor has without question one of the greatest jobs in the world, the cruise sounds like an excellent voyage simply from the standpoint of cruise vacations. The journey begins in Amsterdam and travels along the coast of Portugal and Spain, concluding in Barcelona, that grand metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. After setting sail, the ship will be at sea for two days, and then it stops at Vigo, Spain, where the crew will enjoy fresh olives in the many tapas bars of this Spanish fishing port, according to the dream itinerary that Keillor has posted on the website of A Prairie Home Companion.

The ship will next visit Lisbon, Spain, which the group will explore for a day (Aug. 22), and then moves on to the ancient Spanish cities of Cádiz and Seville for an overnight stay the following day (Aug. 23 – 24). On the 25th, they will arrive in Tangier, Morocco to explore the expansive markets of this city, and then for the rest of the voyage they will make stops exclusively in Spain. They will first see, on the 26th, the Moorish castles and the Picasso museum in Málaga, which will be followed by an entire day at sea (the 27th). On the second to last day of the trip, the group will visit Valencia and its beautiful beaches and gardens, and then will at last arrive to Barcelona the following morning.

The cruise seems to be first and foremost a European cultural adventure, but during the trip there will be plenty of the staples that people have come to expect from A Prairie Home Companion cruises, including a daily glee club, dance lessons, and, naturally, evenings filled with storytelling.

There are still some tickets left, but the majority are sold out, so you should act quickly if you are interested in joining Keillor on what will inevitably be an amazing cruise experience. Both the high-end and low-end cabins are fully booked, so you’ll have to grab one of the middle-of-the-road tickets, financially speaking, if you want to partake, and these cost anywhere from nearly $7,000 to under $2,000, depending on how many people are in your party. (If you are traveling solo, you’ll pay more because you won’t be able to split the expense of your cabin with anyone else.)

The 2012 cruise comes after five previous voyages, all to different parts of the globe. The cruises started in 2005 and went till 2007. A three-year break followed, but the voyages resumed in 2010 with a cruise to the Western Caribbean, and then there was a trip last year that centered on Canada. It sounds like a pretty awesome tradition.

You can find more information about the 2012 cruises here:

A Prairie Home Companion Cruise 2012

Cruise Specials

Evan — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:00:23 +0000

At any given point in the year, cruise specials are available. Indeed, not only are cruise specials always possible to find, you can likely uncover them by looking at a single cruise line. This is because cruise specials are extremely common, and in fact the very nature of the cruise industry ensures that this is the case. Ships need to be filled all year round to make voyages financially worthwhile for the cruise lines, and in order to fill their ships, it is often necessary for companies to offer cruise specials to potential passengers to lure them on board. (For more on why cruise lines offer cruise deals, check out our article on how to find cheap cruises.)

These types of cruise specials – the ones that are designed to entice customers to book a cruise – almost exclusively take the form of discounted cruises. Ticket prices are slashed and there are an abundance of bargains to be had (although, as we went to great lengths to explain, it is not entirely clear what precisely constitutes a bargain cruise). There can be no doubt cheap cruises can properly be called “cruise specials,” but there is also another type of cruise special out there that isn’t defined simply as a “cheap cruise.” These kinds of cruise specials, which we will explain shortly, are often overlooked by people because of our relentless drive to find the cheapest cruises possible, and while this impulse is entirely understandable, we don’t want to neglect to consider other cruising opportunities because we are exclusively preoccupied with cruise deals.

So, what other kinds of cruise specials are we missing? As is the case with so many other questions, the answer hangs on a matter of semantics, on what we define as “cruise special.” In this particular instance, we would liked to think of a cruise special as essentially a specialty cruise, a cruise that has some features that makes it fall outside the domain of standard cruises. Take, for example, Christmas or New Years Eve cruises, of which there are many, offered by small cruise lines and the world’s biggest cruise lines alike. These cruises will share many features with traditional cruises (obviously – you’re on a cruise ship, after all), but they also have special features, like Christmas trees on deck and strings of lights hung around the ballrooms. On a Christmas cruise, you might also find Santa Claus listening patiently to the Christmas wishes of children. Such cruise likely won’t be discounted, but they are nevertheless different from a normal cruise – they are, you might say, special, and hence they fall under the heading of “cruise specials.”

There are any number of other cruise specials like this. There are cruises for couples and there are cruises for singles. There are cruises for food and wine enthusiasts and cruises for those looking for adventures. The list goes on. Granted, these types of cruises generally don’t come to mind when we think about cruise specials, but they are definitely “cruise specials” in a meaningful sense of the phrase. They have a unique angle that renders them out of the ordinary.

When looking for cruise specials, all people are beholden only to their own wishes. If you are exclusively looking for cheap cruises, more power to you. But we suspect that there are at least a few people out there who are interested in a wider array of cruise specials, and to these people we recommend looking into some of the many themed cruises available.

Christmas Cruise Deals

Evan — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:00:08 +0000

It is a relatively well-known fact, at least to those of us familiar with the world of cruises, that there exist special Christmas cruises that are offered by nearly every cruise line during the holiday season. For those who fancy the traditional Christmas experience, one that is filled with snow and caroling and other such merriment, it may seem strange that anyone would take a cruise around Christmas, but evidently many people do, often precisely to avoid the traditional Christmas experience (or at least certain components of it – in-laws and cold weather come to mind), and hence the abundance of Christmas cruises available. But what exactly is a Christmas cruise, and more relevantly for the present article, how do you go about finding a good Christmas cruise deal?

The answer to the first question is quite simple. A Christmas cruise is what the name implies: it is a cruise that takes place during the Christmas holiday season. Any such cruise can technically be called a Christmas cruise (what else would you call it?), but generally the term “Christmas cruise” carries with it a little more. In particular, Christmas cruises attempt to recreate the holiday atmosphere on board by putting up Christmas decorations, playing Christmas music, serving Christmas dishes, and so on. Santa can even be found on board some cruise ships on and around Christmas, faithfully cataloging the gift requests of the ship’s younger passengers. All of these holiday preparations undertaken by the cruise lines merely compliment the traditional offerings of a cruise vacation, like trips to the spa and wild nights at the casino. So, a Christmas cruise can offer the best of two competing desires – to take a cruise and participate in Christmas festivities.

That’s what a Christmas cruise is, but how do you find a Christmas cruise deal? There are of course a number of different ways, just as there are to book a regular cruise, but to find a really good deal, we have a couple of tips. If you are particular about which cruise line you vacation with, you should check the official websites of your preferred cruise lines for deals. You may not find the cheapest cruises this way, but you’ll at least know what you’re getting if you book through a cruise line with which you have previous experience. Also, almost all cruise lines have loyalty programs for repeat customers. If you are a part of such a program, you will likely be offered some good deals for Christmas cruises (depending on the program, your participation in it, etc.).

For those who are not loyal to one particular cruise line, there are tons of cruise deals available. Since you aren’t concerned with which cruise line you book with, it is best to search deal sites (e.g., Orbitz) because they will list vacations associated with a broad range of cruise lines, increasing the likelihood that you’ll find a really good deal. One thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to search explicitly for Christmas cruises. If you have some flexibility in your scheduling, it often best to search multiple dates to find the best deal. In other words, you can look for a Christmas cruise without having to sign up for something that is billed as a Christmas cruise, as the latter may cost more money. You can clearly see the sagacity of this advice when you look for last-minute cruise deals around Christmas time. You can find cruises that depart on, say, Dec. 22nd that are extremely inexpensive, and you likely wouldn’t be able to find this deal if you were searching for a Christmas cruise specifically. Sometimes it is easiest to find what you are looking for when you search for it indirectly.

Best Cruise Lines for Family Reunions

Michelle — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:35:13 +0000

If you’re interested in having your family reunion on a cruise ship, several cruise lines offer theme cruises year around. These include Crystal Cruises, Cruise West, Clipper Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Disney Cruise Lines.

One of the most popular cruise lines for theme cruises is Crystal Cruises. In addition to family reunion cruises, Crystal Cruises offers a wide range of theme cruises such as jazz, golf, film festival, health and food & wine theme cruises, these cruises typically travel to exciting places such as Aspen, the Caribbean, London and Monte Carlo.

In addition to family reunion cruises Cruise West features a variety of food & wine theme cruises and Clipper Cruise Line also features educational themes and military theme cruises. In addition to family reunion cruises Carnival Cruise Lines is popular for casino theme cruises and Disney Cruise Lines is also popular for film festival theme cruises.

A great place to start your search for family reunion cruises and any other type of theme cruise is Cruisemates.com. Cruisemates.com features a lengthy list of cruise lines along with each cruise line’s list of theme cruises, cruise dates, destinations, ports of call, excursions, and more. You can also contact a cruise travel specialist. Most specialists are more than happy to help you through the planning process.

Most cruise lines will offer a discount for groups, but you can also save money by booking your family reunion off-season. Keep in mind that slow or shoulder seasons for say, Alaska, may differ from the Mexican Riviera. Destinations and their slow seasons include:

-Alaska, May and September
-Bermuda, April-May and September-October
-Canada/New England, July-August
-Caribbean, late April-May, September-early January
-Hawaii, late August, late November, and February
-Mexican Riviera, early January and May, October-November
-Eastern and Western Mediterranean, March-April and September-November

If there are any seniors in your family reunion, they will receive a discount as well. A senior is any person 55 years of age or better. Proof of age is required.

If you are interested in booking your theme cruise through a cruise line that is not listed in this article, visit the Ships and Cruises Directory at www.shipsandcruises.com to locate contact information for all cruise lines from A to Z.

About Theme Cruises

While some cruise line are more popular than others when it comes to theme cruises, just about every cruise line offers special theme cruise packages or discount rates for large groups. Theme cruises allow guests to customize the cruise experience by mixing a variety of fun activities, favorite foods, and entertainment to create a memorable theme cruise. Theme cruises can be created from just about any activity or interest, meaning cruise lines are open to just about any theme or activity as long as it’s in good taste.

There are literally hundreds of theme cruises in existence today. The following list represents only a fraction of the types of theme cruises on the market today.

50s Sock Hop
Adventure
Art, Epicurean/Food Wine
Big Band/Swing
Booze Cruises
Bridge Tournaments
Broadway/Theater at Sea
Cartoon/Action Figures
Christian
Classical Music/Opera
Contemporary/Dixieland
Country & Western
Gambling
Gay/Lesbian
Glacier
Golf, Singles
Health & Fitness
History/Cultural Heritage
Holiday
Jazz
Latin/Salsa
Literary
Luxury
Maya Equinox
Military
Motivational/Self Improvement
Murder Mystery
Natural History/Ecology
Pearl Harbor
Personal Finance
Polka/Square Dancing
Rhythm & Blues
Silver Screen/Hollywood Film Festival
Solar Eclipse
Spiritual/Gospel
Sports/Olympics

Aperture Academy Photography Cruise to Alaska

Michelle — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:40:00 +0000

One of the most fascinating places on earth to visit is Alaska. This pristine region is home to approximately 640,000 residents and at 2.3 times the size of Texas, Alaska is the nations largest state. Alaska has some 570,374 square miles (or 365,039 acres) of lush landscape and some of the most scenic byways and marine highways in the world. Although many vacationers travel to Alaska by plane, many also travel to Alaska by cruise ship.

Alaska is a year round vacation destination with a variety of expedition voyages available all year—even during the colder winter months. Although winter is one of the most scenic times of year to visit Alaska, the shoulder seasons, May and September (also the end of August), are the most popular times to visit.

During the month of May, the climate is warm and the days are long. Wildlife is abundant and flowers are in full bloom. Around the end of August through September, Alaska has the best fall colors in the world with blazing yellow and red trees by Labor Day, with tall mountains with fresh snow on their peaks as a backdrop. Animals begin to feed in the lower elevations, so opportunities to snap a picture increase during this time. In September, in the Interior of Alaska, it also gets dark enough to see the Northern Lights.

If you are interested in an exciting adventure, the opportunity to document the adventure through photography, and learn about photography, you should consider Aperture Academy’s 7-Day Photography Cruise to Alaska. The cruise, which takes place aboard Holland America’s luxury liner Oosterdam, departs from Seattle on August 21, 2011 and returns August 28, 2011.

Presented in collaboration with Canon and Holland America Line, the Aperture Academy photography cruise will feature:

Presentations by award-winning photographers
Excursion workshops
Photoshop classes
Canon print classes
Printing labs run by Canon
Personalized instruction from “from a team of highly experienced photographers, teaching you what YOU want to learn.”

According to the official Aperture Academy website, guests will have a front row seat to the “beautiful Alaskan landscape (rugged mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and lush forests) and amazing Alaskan wildlife (grizzly bear, eagles, whales, otters and more).

The cruise will sail from Seattle to:

Glacier Bay (Day 3)
Juneau (Day 4)
Sitka (Say 5)
Ketchikan (Day 6)
Canada-Victoria, B.C. (Day 7)

Each day, whether at sea or exploring Alaska, guests will have unlimited opportunities to photograph the landscape and wildlife, learn, and socialize. The following information is just one example of what to expect. Please note that the information below is from the official Aperture Academy website.

Day 3
The fun begins as we enter Glacier Bay…it will be all hands (holding cameras) on deck for this workshop. We’ll glide through the glacier-heavy waters, and instructors will work with you to achieve the best results while photographing the majestic blue chunks of ice as they float in the bay and fall from the glacier into the sea. The rest of your day will be free to explore the ship, relax, or partake in the Photoshop classes available on the boat with our Adobe certified instructors. Whether your version of raw is from the camera or in the form of sushi on the ship, the day is full of opportunity and fun for you aboard the Oosterdam.

That evening will be geared towards photography adventure as the award winning team of instructors from the Aperture Academy give slide-show talks and entertaining presentations about some of their favorite expeditions behind the lens. Whether it’s spending a week with grizzlies in the wilds of Alaska, braving 30 ft. swells in the seas surrounding Antarctica, or backpacking for 2-months in Iceland, our instructors have been all over the planet and experienced some of the best it has to offer. Sit back, relax, and let them entertain and educate you.

When you are ready to book your cruise, visit the Aperture Academy website at www.apertureacademy.com to get started. On the website, you can also review more details about Aperture Academy, the photography cruise package, the itinerary, and how the pricing works.

Aperture Academy Contact
Aperture Academy
1875 S. Bascom
Suite 600
Campbell, CA 95008
Phone: 408-369-8585
E-mail: info[at]apertureacademy.com

Belly Dance Cruise

Michelle — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:23:19 +0000

Carnival is one of the world’s most festive cruise lines. Not only is this cruise line famous for fun, it is also the world’s most affordable cruise line. Carnival offers cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada & New England, Europe, and Transatlantic voyages. Carnival is so versatile, that it also offers a number of special cruises such as “cruises to nowhere” and theme cruises. The cruise lines most popular theme cruise is the Carnival Live Music Cruise, but the cruise line also offers the most popular and longest running belly dance cruise. Carnival’s Middle Eastern belly dance seminar cruise is called “Arabian Nights At Sea.”

The Arabian Nights at Sea cruise is a 3-night/4-day Baja cruise that travels to Ensenada, Mexico from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Fun Ship, M.S. Paradise. The Arabian Nights At Sea cruise typically departs on any given Friday and returns on Monday.

The Carnival Fun Ship M.S. Paradise has 1,026 staterooms, 10 decks, and a passenger capacity of 2,052. For your entertainment, the ship features several lively lounges and bars, a library, several dining venues, an elaborate dance club called Rex Dance Club, a unique cafe, and a buzzing casino.

Arabian Nights At Sea features roughly 10-15 individual belly dance workshops, and performances by nearly a dozen dancers and musicians. The cost for this belly dance cruise varies depending on accommodations. An Inside Cabin (Category 4) costs $405.00 per person; Ocean View (Category 6) $455.00, per person and 3rd or 4th passenger (any category) costs $275.00 per person with limited availability.

The price includes all meals, entertainment, two workshops of your choice, a Gala Show, a private cocktail party and more. Port charges and taxes are $123.94 per person and additional workshop tickets are available at three for $60 prepaid or $25 each (also prepaid). Payment plans are available. To book a room on an Arabian Nights At Sea belly dance cruise, call 925.458.3300 or visit the Arabian Nights At Sea website.

For information about other cruises that offer belly dance, contact your local cruise travel specialist or visit Carnival on the web at www.carnival.com.

Vacation.com Food & Wine Cruise Program

Michelle — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:58:38 +0000

Vacation.com has launched a Food & Wine Cruise Program called “Culinary Collection.” The program features food & wine themed sailings through participating cruise lines including Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland American Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.

Culinary Collection cruises feature cooking classes, wine tastings, demonstrations from world-renowned chefs, and meals based on regional cuisine. An added bonus for Vacation.com members’ clients include value-added amenities at no extra cost, such as onboard credit, the services of a concierge host, an exclusive shore event, and a private cocktail reception, according to Cruise Industry News, www.cruiseindustrynews.com.

To book a food & wine vacation, visit any of the participating cruise lines’ websites or visit www.vacation.com. Use the Ships and Cruises Directory to locate official cruise line websites.

About Vacation.com

According to the official Vacation.com website,

Vacation.com® is a network of thousands of travel agencies across North America working together to provide the travel experiences clients both expect and deserve.

“Powered By Real Travel Agents,” Vacation.com is North America’s largest vacation-selling network. Vacation.com is the product of the 1998 acquisition and consolidation of ten leading travel agency marketing organizations (GEM, GEM Canada, Cruiselink, SPACE, ACTION 6, TIME, Consolidated Travel Services, Crown Travel Group, The Consortium and AURA) and is a stand-alone division of The Travel Leaders Group.

Consumers who use a Vacation.com member agency to arrange their leisure travel:

-Get peace of mind by planning with an experienced travel counselor
-Take advantage of exclusive savings and value-added vacation packages
-Enjoy special benefits from the best travel providers in the world

The Vacation.com head office is in Alexandria, VA, which serves member agents in the United States and Canada.

Vacation.com
1650 King Street, Suite 450
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: 800-843-0733
Fax: 703-548-6815
Email: feedback@vacation-corp.com

About Theme Cruises

Just about any activity, interest, group or desire can lay the foundation for a theme cruise.
There are literally hundreds of theme cruises available today and many popular theme cruises are offered on a regular basis on most cruise ships. While no reasonable theme is out of the question these days, the following are just a few popular theme cruises on the market today.

Art, Epicurean/Food Wine, Broadway/Theater at Sea, Murder Mystery, Solar Eclipse, Holiday, Pearl Harbor, Maya Equinox, Cartoon/Action Figures, Health & Fitness, Gay/Lesbian, Motivational/Self Improvement, Personal Finance, Silver Screen/Hollywood Film Festival, Adventure, Natural History/Ecology, Literary, History/Cultural Heritage, Sports/Olympics, Spiritual/Gospel, Golf, Singles, Latin/Salsa, Couples, Country & Western, Booze Cruises, 50s Sock Hop, Polka/Square Dancing, Christian, Rhythm & Blues, Big Band/Swing, Classical Music/Opera, Contemporary/Dixieland, Jazz, Gambling, Luxury, Glacier, Bridge Tournaments, Family Reunion, and Military.

One of the leaders in theme cruises is Crystal Cruises. Crystal Cruises offers jazz, golf, film festival, health, and food & wine theme cruises, that will take you to the Caribbean, Monte Carlo, London, and Aspen. A typical golf theme cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity departs from Rome to London or a transatlantic cruise could morph into a jazz cruises. Crystal Cruises may also offer a Mediterranean/Black Sea food & wine cruise.

If you are interested in a theme cruise, you can begin searching the Cruise Mates website at www.cruisemates.com. Cruise Mates features a long list of cruise lines along with each cruise line’s list of theme cruises. The list includes all dates and destinations from A-Z.

Romantic Cruises

Michelle — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:39:02 +0000

If you are couple that enjoys long walks on the beach, sunsets, and engaging in adventurous activities together, there’s no better cruise vacation than a voyage to Hawaii. In fact, cruises to Hawaii are the most popular romantic cruises on the market today. On a cruise to Hawaii, couples will visit some of the most beautiful islands in the world from Maui and Oahu to Kauai and The Big Island. Not only do cruises to Hawaii sail to some of the world’s most beautiful islands, couples will also have the opportunity to swim, scuba dive, and snorkel together in some of the earth’s most pristine bodies of water.

In addition to adventure and exploration during a Hawaii vacation, couples will also have their choice of exciting excursions such as waterfall tours, hiking through rainforests, flightseeing, historic tours, and elaborate luaus. Couples will also have unlimited opportunities to relax and enjoy the natural sights in a serene environment that can only be found in Hawaii.

Cruises to Hawaii offer itineraries ranging from 7-21 days or more including a combination of island exploration and long days at sea. During long days at sea, couples will enjoy onboard activities such as cultural events, hula lessons, culinary demonstrations highlighting Hawaiian cooking, and Hawaiian music. And just about every cruise ship offering service to Hawaii features fine dining for romantic dinners and spas that will allow you and your significant other to relax and unwind together.

Depending on a variety of factors such as season, cruise line, itinerary, accommodations, cruise ship, and excursions, cruises to Hawaii may cost anywhere from several hundred dollars up to $1,000 or more. If you want to save on your Hawaii cruise, there are many options available to you. Cruise lines prefer advance booking, so you may enjoy special incentives, credits, and cash back just for booking far in advance. If you prefer to book last minute, you may enjoy savings on cruises to Hawaii as well. If cabins are still available several weeks or so before the departure date, prices are instantly reduced. This means, you may enjoy savings up to 75 percent for booking last minute. Cruise lines will do anything fill those last few cabins.

Other ways to enjoy additional savings on cruises to Hawaii include: booking off-season, booking with a group/family, taking advantage of package deals, booking online, and booking with popular cruise lines with frequent sailings to Hawaii such as Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL), Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruises, and Holland America.

When you are ready to book your Hawaii cruise, keep in mind that the most tourists do not visit Hawaii when the weather’s best in the islands — they typically visit when it’s at its worst everywhere else. This means, high season in Hawaii is typically from mid-December through March or mid-April.

The off-season features the best cruise deals and during the off-season, the islands are mush less crowded. This means, more room to breathe, better service, and sales galore. Off-season runs spring (mid-April to mid-June) and fall (September to mid-December). Keep in mind that during off-season, Hawaii’s weather is at its very best as well.

Besides special rates for groups and families, just about every cruise line has special rates for seniors. A senior is typically defined as a person who is 55 or older. In order to lock in special senior rates, you must call a cruise travel specialist or book directly with the cruise line. Proof of age is required.

For more deals on cruises to Hawaii, visit any of the following popular discount booking search engines and websites to check out the lowest prices on cruises, to shop and compare, and you can even book your Hawaiian cruise online.

Kayak.com
Expedia.com
Orbitz.com
Travelocity.com
CheapTickets.com
VacationsToGo.com
Cruise411.com
Cruise.com

To find out more about cruises to Hawaii, you can visit any number of cruise review websites to read reviews from real passengers, with real experiences. While there are many cruise review websites to choose from, some of the most popular (and reliable) cruise review websites include:

Cruisecritic.com
Cruisereviewsonline.com
Cruisereport.com
Cruisedirectonline.com
Cruisemates.com

New Years Eve Cruises (New York)

Michelle — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:46:17 +0000

There are literally thousands of New Years Eve cruise available around the world, but we only have room to talk about the most popular NYE cruises in the U.S. Some of the top places to visit this time of year in the U.S. include New York, Florida, and California and each state has an endless number of NYE cruises to choose from. However, New York is the most popular place to visit this time of year, so if you want to do something besides Times Square, try a New York NYE cruise.

If you’re heading to Manhattan check out The Yacht of Manhattan. This year, The Yacht of Manhattan will leave Chelsea Piers, Pier 62, West 22nd and sail around the harbor to enjoy stunning views of:

·New Year’s Eve Fireworks
·Battery Park, South Street Seaport and the Financial District
·Governor’s Island, The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
·Parts of Brooklyn and Queens and the complete New York City skyline
·Roosevelt Island
·The United Nations Building
·The Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges of the East River

Guests will enjoy an open beer, wine, & Champagne bar, hors d’ oeuvres, live jazz music, and dancing. Guests must be 21 and over and wear formal attire. This intimate NYE cruise is expected to attract 40-44 guests. For ticket information, call 212-213-2868 or visit noo Events at
http://newyears.noo.com.

For more NYE cruises around New York, visit: http://newyears.noo.com/new-years-eve/2010-2011/in/New-York/at/Cruises.

All About New Years Eve Cruise Deals (Large Ship Cruises)

There are several ways to enjoy New Years cruise deals this holiday season. First, you can book your travel with the entire family or a large group. Cruise lines offer significant discounts for large groups and in some cases, depending on the number in your party, one person may have the opportunity to cruise for free. This varies greatly depending on the cruise line, so when booking your travel simply ask if the 5th passenger in your party cruises for free, you may be pleasantly surprised at the answer! Please note that the number 5 is just an example.

Next, it is quite possible to score a New Years cruise deal is you book far in advance, say 8 months to a year, if at all possible. Cruise lines prefer to book rooms in advance, so in many cases they will offer significant discounts and savings just for booking in advance. This depends on the cruise line, but generally speaking, the larger the cruise line, the better the cruise deal. So it would be in your best interest to seek out popular cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, SilverSea Cruises, and Windstar Cruises. While cruise lines prefer to book in advance, in most cases when the cabins don’t quite make it to full capacity several weeks before the departure date, cruise lines will start slashing prices. So, if you are willing to take a gamble and wait until the last minute, you may enjoy killer savings up to 75 percent or more.

Another way to save big is to book a cruise to a popular destination such as the Caribbean or Hawaii. When cruise lines offer frequent sailings to any one destination, they are sure to offer a deal or two to keep those cabins filled!

And finally, just about every cruise line in service today offers big savings for seniors. A senior is typically defined as persons 55 and older. To lock in special senior rates, all you have to do is contact the cruise line directly or book your cruise vacation through a cruise travel specialist. Senior rates are not available if you book your travel online. Proof of age is required.

For more New Years cruise deals visit any of the following discount booking search engines:

Kayak.com
Expedia.com
Orbitz.com
Travelocity.com
CheapTickets.com
VacationsToGo.com
Cruise411.com
Cruise.com

Singles Vacation Cruises

Michelle — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:06:47 +0000

Singles vacation cruises are plentiful through cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess Cruises. These special theme cruises are not what you think they might be. While singles cruises are designed for singles that just want to have fun, the matchmaking aspects of the cruise are extremely low-key, so you won’t spend the entire trip obsessing over meeting mister or ms. right.

Part of Carlson Vacation & Business Travel (CVBT), the top cruise operator for singles cruise vacations is SinglesCruise.com. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, SinglesCruise.com typically organizes singles cruises on Carnival Cruise Lines’ Fun Ships, MSC cruise ships, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Singles can find at least one singles cruise on a Carnival Fun Ship per month. Passengers on singles cruises can expect to find anywhere from 100-400 other singles on any given cruise.

Singles cruise vacations can take you anywhere from the Bahamas to London, on three-night cruises, five-night cruises, and even 12-night cruises. If you are interested in longer cruises, 12+ night singles cruises are available as well.

Singles cruise vacations are all-inclusive and include:

-Access to the singles chat site where you can meet other travelers in the Singles Cruise group prior to cruise departure.

-Complimentary private cocktail parties — three complimentary cocktail parties on every 7-night cruise.

-Exclusive shore tours

-Games, private dance classes, karaoke, guest relationship experts, pool parties with give-a-way gifts and more. Private schedule of activities is in addition to those offered by the cruise line.

-Identification necklaces to gain access into all the fun and exclusive singles events

-Meet-and-greet services with SCs very own Cruise Directors

-Open seating dining

-Organized singles events and activities with SCs very own “SINGLES” Cruise Directors

-Pre-cruise festivities (optional dinner and hotel) are available prior to departure.

Below you will find an extensive list of SinglesCruise.com offerings for singles only.

To book a singles cruise, visit SinglesCruise.com to start the process or call toll free 800-393-5000, Local 954-489-3200.

Examples of Possible SinglesCruise.com Cruise Offerings:

4-Night Western Caribbean Singles Cruise with LockandKeyEvents.com from Ft. Lauderdale, Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas

7-Night After Thanksgiving Singles Cruise from Miami
Carnival’s Freedom

7-Night New Years Caribbean Singles Cruise from Miami
Carnival’s Valor

4-Night Western Caribbean Singles Cruise from Tampa
Carnival’s Inspiration

7-Night “Baby Boomer” Eastern Caribbean Singles Cruise from Miami
Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Of The Seas

10-Night Panama Canal Singles Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale
Princess Cruise Line’s Coral Princess

4-Night Baja Mexico Singles Cruise from Long Beach
Carnival’s Paradise

3-Night Bahamas Super Bowl Getaway Singles Cruise from Miami
Carnival’s Fascination

8-Night Presidents’ Day Western Caribbean Getaway Singles Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale
Carnival’s Liberty

7-Night March Madness Singles Cruise from Miami
Carnival’s Freedom

3-Night Jewish JBreak Bahamas Singles Cruise
Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas

8-Night Spring Fling Singles Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale
Carnival’s Liberty

6-Night 20’s and 30’s Western Caribbean Singles Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale
Carnival’s Liberty

4-Night Cozumel Break Singles Cruise from New Orleans
Carnival’s Fantasy

8-Night Exotic Isle Caribbean Singles Cruise from New York
Carnival’s Miracle

7-Night Mexican Riviera Singles Cruise Adventure from Los Angeles
Carnival’s Pride

7-Night Memorial Day Western Caribbean from Miami
Carnival’s Valor

7-Night Alaskan Explorer Singles Cruise from Seattle
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star

5-Night Singles Cruise Mexican Retreat from San Diego
Carnival’s Elation

5-Night Caribbean Summer Break Singles Cruise from Miami
Carnival’s Imagination

12-Night Northern European Summer Singles Cruise from London
Carnival’s Splendor