Crystal Cruises Mediterranean Adventures and Enrichment

This fall, Crystal Cruises' Crystal Visions Enrichment Program lectures, classes and shoreside Crystal Adventures are as rich as its Mediterranean port content. Travel/fiction writer Paul Theroux and broadcast journalist/author Linda Ellerbee are among the notable speakers joining Crystal Serenity's fall Mediterranean cruises. Ashore, 40 new Crystal Adventures will be added to its roster of almost 200 varied tours in the Mediterranean from September through November.

Five diverse 11- and 12-day itineraries offer the luxury of exploring as many as six different countries on a single voyage. Cruises depart from Venice, Athens, Rome or Barcelona and visit such popular destinations as the south of France, Greek islands, and seaside towns in Turkey, Croatia and the Amalfi Coast.

Crystal Serenity's fall Mediterranean season is abundant in stimulating lectures, classes and evening entertainment on board, as well as special interest, limited availability experiences ashore. New culinary experiences, exclusive learning opportunities and adventures include:

• Amarone wine tasting and local fare at a renowned Tuscan villa (from Venice);
• A private tour of the Vatican Museum (from Rome);
• Advanced and beginning scuba diving in Sorrento's Punta Campanella;
• Helicopter tours of the Dolomites (from Venice) and the Amalfi Coast (from Sorrento);
• Off-road 4x4 excursions in Valletta and Funchal; and,
• Zipping around Nice on a Segway Human Transporter.

And golf at some of the world's most renowned courses:

• Malaga's venerable Real Club de Campo;
• The Jack Nicklaus-designed course at the Montecastillo Hotel & Golf Resort in Cadiz;
• The Green Course at Casablanca's Dar Es-Salam Royal Golf Club;
• The Real Club de Golf de Tenerife; and,
• Lisbon's stunning Penha Longa Golf Course.

All shore tours can be researched and pre-reserved online at www.crystalcruises.com prior to departure.

With Crystal Visions® Enrichment Program lecture series, the onboard experience is as rich as the port content. Highlights include:

September 8 – 20; 12 days; Rome to Venice; and
September 20 – October 2; 12 days; Venice to Athens:

• Dr. Lewis A. Sussman , professor of Classics at the University of Florida,provides insight into the history of the Greek and Roman worlds.
• Richard Karras of the Society of Wine Educators shares his extensive knowledge of the region's best vintages.
• Progressive classes in Italian are taught by a certified Berlitz language instructor (offered on all five fall itineraries).

October 2 - 14; 12 days; Athens to Rome:

• Linda Ellerbee , multi-Emmy Award-winning television producer and author of the new memoir Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table , provides a look at her life including her successful fight against breast cancer.
• Paul Theroux , renowned travel novelist discusses his books.
• Dr. Howard Clarke , professor Emeritus of Classics at the University of California, Santa Barbara shares his insight on Greek and Roman mythology.

October 14-25; 11 days; Rome to Barcelona; Sotheby's Institute Cruise:

• Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe is a respected Old Master paintings expert at Sotheby's Institute of Art in London.
• Corrado Amice , Italian tenor, performs favorite arias of his homeland.

October 25 - November 6; 12 days; Barcelona to Lisbon; Golf Cruise:

• Susan Reed , editor in chief of Golf for Women, is joined by a PGA golf pro to host play at some of the world's most established courses (listed above)

Eleven- and 12-day cruise fares begin at just $3,695 and $3,995, respectively, and are based on per person, double occupancy accommodations.

Aboard the luxurious Crystal Serenity refined elegance meets casual simplicity. With an emphasis on innovative product differentiation, the renowned Crystal experience is distinguished by classic service, abundant space, extensive choice, and quality, providing worldwide vacations that bridge the best of land and sea.

Cool Mediterranean Cruises

The new Cool Mediterranean Cruises site is now up. It's a promising start to an interesting new online publication. Look for lots of new stuff to be added soon. It has a Mediterranean cruise calendar, cruise line information, a section on ports, and last minute cruise bargains.

Mediterranean cruises

12-day Treasures of the Mediterranean Cruise

On July 10th, the Crystal Serenity makes a 12-day "Treasures of the Mediterranean" cruise from Venice (Italy) to Dubrovnik (Croatia), Rhodes/Lindos (Greece), Santorini/Thira (Greece), Sorrento (Italy), Sardinia/Porto Cervo (Italy), Monte Carlo (Monaco), and Rome/Civitavecchia (Italy). That's many of the most fabulous ports in both the eastern and western Mediterranean, all in one cruise. It's priced from $4,915.

The Serenity is Crystal Cruise's newest and largest ship. It is capable of serving 1,080 guests. However, like her sister ships, she maintains one of the highest space-per-guest ratios at sea, so you'll never feel crowded. Featuring many of the same popular public spaces as Crystal Harmony and Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity serves up innovation in the form of new dining venues like Tastes, Silk Road and The Sushi Bar. Amenities include complimentary bottled water, soft drinks and specialty coffees. 85% of the staterooms have verandahs and there are 100 penthouse suites with verandahs.

The six-star rated liners, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, have won the travel industry's most distinguished hospitality awards and guidebook ratings. Crystal Cruises is continuously named best large-ship line in surveys conducted by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines.

Mediterranean Cruise: QE2 Jewels

The famous Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) will make a 15-day "Jewels of the Mediterranean" cruise from June 10 to June 25, 2005. It departs from Southampton (England) and makes port in Vigo (Spain), Palermo (Italy), Trieste (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Corfu (Greece), Valleta (Malta), and Lisbon (Portugal) before returning to Southampton. Prices start at $2,399.

Imagine a floating palace where the pleasures are unmatched; where royalty, millionaires and film stars have strolled the gleaming teak decks while savoring the earth's most dramatic panoramas. Welcome aboard the one and only Queen Elizabeth 2. Thanks to a refurbishment from bow to stern, she is uniquely prepared to pamper you with the utmost contemporary comfort.

Whether you prefer days of leisure or stimulating activities, Queen Elizabeth 2 accommodates extravagantly. Enjoy a variety of concerts, films and talks. Indulge in swimming and aerobics - or soothing treatments at the spa or stroll among the Royal Promenade boutiques. Later, linger over cocktails in the Crystal Bar or the Queens Grill Lounge before sitting down to feast on QE2's culinary rituals - from a simple spa lunch on deck or cream cakes and Darjeeling at tea time, to casual meals in the Lido, or the gourmet fare in one of the formal restaurants.

Ascend to the Sun Deck Bar, where the views span the horizon. Applaud the piano player in the Chart Room or take a seat in the Grand Lounge, where a Broadway style is about to premier. Dance to the accompaniment of the orchestra in the Queens Room, toast the sunset in the Yacht Club, raise your voice in song in the Golden Lion Pub, or perhaps Lady Luck will entice you to the Casino.

Cruise departing from Rome? Tour like a local

Ken Dilanian in the Chicago Tribune has a guide to touring Rome "like a local". He's lived there for three years. He offers tips on where to stay (choose location over luxury), how to get from the airport to the city (don't take a taxi), what to see (the typical tourist sites are great), shopping (don't - you can probably buy the same thing cheaper at home), where to eat and other tips.

On a lighter note, waiting in line is seen as a sort of quaint notion in Italy: a nice idea but optional. So don't be afraid to assert yourself when somebody steps in front of you at a taxi stand or a bar. A sharp " mi scuse" usually does the trick. Bars, by the way, are where you go to get an espresso and a snack, and you usually need to pay first, then take the receipt to the counter.

Seabourn Mediterranean cruises for 2006 - 2007

A selection of new Mediterranean ports including Tripoli, Libya; Sarande, Albania; Rovinj, Croatia; Mylos, Greek Isles; Sousse, Tunisia and Xlendi (Gozo), Malta are highlights of Seabourn Cruise Line’s newly released 2006-2007 cruise itineraries. The line posted a 16-month schedule of cruises and fares covering the period from January, 2006 through April, 2007 on the company website.

Approximately 57% of the Seabourn 2006-07 cruise schedule is available in lengths of 7 or 8 days duration. The bulk of those are designed to be combinable for up to six weeks of cruising with different port content. Combining two or more consecutive cruises earns an extra 10% savings off the Early Booking Savings fares. Longer combinations of 18 or more days qualify for Grand Voyage Savings of 50% or more off full brochure fares.

All three Yachts of Seabourn will undergo drydock maintenance and interior refurbishments by January, 2006. Planned upgrades include the installation of DVD players and flat-screen televisions in all guest suites.

Seabourn has been honored on every one of Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s annual Gold Lists and placed at the top of the luxury cruise category by readers of such prestigious magazines as Departures, published exclusively for American Express Platinum and Centurion Card members; the United Kingdom newspaper The Telegraph and the annual Travel Star survey of Swiss travel agencies. With Early Booking Savings of up to 50%, cruise-only fares start from $1,975 per person, based on double occupancy.

Million Britons Cruise - Many to the Mediterranean

Britons are now taking more cruise holidays than anyone else in Europe. A total of 1,028,937 people went on ocean cruises in 2004, an increase of 7% on the 2003 total, the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) said.

The Mediterranean and the Caribbean have been the top destination for Britons who take cruises for many years.

Carnival Liberty to return to Mediterranean cruises in 2006

Following strong consumer response to its first-ever Mediterranean cruises to debut aboard the new Carnival Liberty this summer, Carnival Cruise Lines has announced that the ship will return for a second time for a full season of Med cruises beginning in May 2006.

The Liberty will operate a series of 15 12-day "Grand Mediterranean" cruises round-trip from Rome (Civitavecchia) May 7 - Oct. 22, 2006. The itinerary includes extended port calls in seven magnificent locations: Naples, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Venice, Italy (two-day call); Messina, Sicily; Barcelona, Spain; Cannes, France; and Livorno, Italy.

Prior to and following this program, Carnival Liberty will operate 14- and 16-day transatlantic voyages between Rome (Civitavecchia) and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in April and November 2006, respectively. Carnival Liberty will also operate a schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale Nov. 12, 2005 - April 15, 2006 and then will resume that program on Nov. 19, 2006.