Passengers on all NCL ships, including Norwegian Getaway, can choose to pay extra for an all-included package of extra cruise goodies for 2015 sailings.
By John Roberts
Frugal travelers rejoice. Lots of deals rolled out in the past week. Let's take a look at how we can save on sailing adventures.
Norwegian Cruise Line is debuting an all-inclusive package that includes such items as specialty dining, Internet, beverage packages, gratuities and excursion credit for an additional bundled fee. Norwegian says the all-inclusive package represents up to more than $2,400 in value per stateroom. The promotion is available for all 2015 sailings fleetwide for new reservations made between August 4 and August 29, 2014. The comprehensive package includes signature dining, alcoholic beverages, unlimited soda, shore excursions, Internet access, service charges and more.
The package, available for sailings from three to 14 days, is priced by the number of days and available for all stateroom categories. When adding the all-inclusive package to a cruise, you receive 10 percent off the cruise fare, NCL says. As an example: For a seven-day cruise, the $899 package includes the Ultimate Dining package (a meal each night at a for-fee specialty restaurant), Ultimate Beverage package, $200 per-person shore excursion credit, prepaid daily service charges, a 250-minute Internet package per person, 20 photos of any size, chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of wine, one bingo session and six bottles of water.
If you typically buy all these extras, the package will offer you a pretty nice savings. But if you have no interest in some items (I don't need the photos, wine, strawberries or bingo, and I book my excursions independently and don't trust the spotty Internet service on cruises, for example), this would not represent a good deal for you.
Check out NCL.com for more details and pricing.
Princess Cruises is offering a "Great Getaways Sale" through August 14. The promotion is for a range of short cruises, plus one nine-day Caribbean sampler and features fares at up to a 40 percent discount and $50 in onboard credit when you book a balcony stateroom or higher and $25 for interior or oceanview cabins. Here is what Princess is selling:
West Coast Getaway: three days: $179 interior; $329 balcony
West Coast Getaway: four days: $249 interior; $449 balcony
Eastern Caribbean Getaways: three to five days: from $249 interior; from $429 balcony
Grand Caribbean Sampler: nine days: $499 interior; $899 balcony
More and pricing can be found at princess.com/getaway-sale.
Celebrity Cruises in 2015-16 will take cruisers on its new "Signature Event Sailings." On these sailings, you'll experience iconic global events and celebrations as part of your trip. If you're a history buff or always wanted to go to some of the most famous annual events, you might be particularly interested in some of these trips.
For example, Celebrity's Signature Event Sailings for 2015-16 include:
Anzac Day -- 100th Anniversary Commemoration in Turkey: As part of a 12-night Turkey and Greece cruise departing April 22, 2015, on Celebrity Constellation, you can step back in time with a visit to the battlefields of Gallipoli during the 100th Anniversary of Anzac Day.
Cannes Film Festival: On a 10-night Mediterranean cruise, departing on May 11, 2015, from Barcelona, Spain, Celebrity Equinox will stop at Cannes, France, for the Cannes Film Festival. Step into the world of A-list Hollywood glamor by attending an exclusive VIP rooftop celebration ashore with live French music, cocktails and a view of the picturesque harbor.
The British Open: Departing on July 15, 2015, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, golf enthusiasts can enjoy the oldest and most prestigious of the major professional golf championships -- the British Open -- while on the 12-night British Isle cruise aboard Celebrity Silhouette. VIP experiences include onboard events hosted by a golf pro, entry at the historic championship in St. Andrews, teeing up for a round of golf on stunning courses in three locations during the sailing and the rare opportunity to walk the Old Course.
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro: Ever considered a way to get down to the pulsating action in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during Carnival? Celebrity Infiniti will take cruisers on a 14-night South America and Rio Carnival voyage, departing on January 31, 2016, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Join the fun at the Sambadrome of Rio in an extravagant costume to experience the vibrancy of the iconic Samba Parade in grandstand or VIP seating. The party continues onboard, as professional samba invite you to learn the iconic Brazilian dance.
Chinese New Year in Hong Kong: Ring in the Chinese New Year in one of the most vibrant cities of the Far East -- Hong Kong -- during the 14-night cruise, departing on January 31, 2016, aboard Celebrity Millennium. While in Hong Kong, explore historic landmarks, from the Wong Tai Sin Temple to Kowloon Walled City Park, and participate in a local tradition by visiting the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree.
For more information, check out CelebrityCruises.com.
SeaDream Yacht Club touts a "yachting, not cruising" experience that explores smaller ports and harbors. The line revealed its 2015 Med sailings schedule with new voyages to immerse travelers into the cultures of Greece, Croatia and Italy.
SeaDream's Mediterranean season begins in May and features more than 40 itineraries in the region. Country-focused voyages include:
Croatia -- Dubrovnik to Venice, June 20 to 27; Croatian ports of call include Mljet, Hvar, Split, Sibenik, Rab, Opatija and Rovinj before disembarking in Venice, Italy.
Greece -- Istanbul to Athens (Piraeus), July 25 to Aug. 4; Greek ports include Molyvos, Skopelos, Skiathos, Patmos, Paros, Santorini, Navplion (Mycenae), Hydra and Athens.
Italy -- Rome (Civitavecchia) roundtrip, July 29 to Aug. 8; Italian ports include Costa Smeralda, Sardinia; Trapani, Marettimo, Porto Empedocle (Agrigento), Syracuse, Taormina (Mount Etna), Sicily; Amalfi and Capri along with Bonifacio, Corsica.
The all-inclusive fares start at $3,999 per person. For more details, check out SeaDream.com.
The lines ships have a maximum of 112 passengers onboard and are equipped with wave runners, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and many other watersports activities, all of which can be launched directly from the ship. These cruises are fantastic for the active traveler who also seeks a bit of luxury.
Thanks for reading.
Best luck in your hunt for a great deal. Remember to always travel happy!
JR
Frugal travelers rejoice. Lots of deals rolled out in the past week. Let's take a look at how we can save on sailing adventures.
Norwegian Cruise Line is debuting an all-inclusive package that includes such items as specialty dining, Internet, beverage packages, gratuities and excursion credit for an additional bundled fee. Norwegian says the all-inclusive package represents up to more than $2,400 in value per stateroom. The promotion is available for all 2015 sailings fleetwide for new reservations made between August 4 and August 29, 2014. The comprehensive package includes signature dining, alcoholic beverages, unlimited soda, shore excursions, Internet access, service charges and more.
The package, available for sailings from three to 14 days, is priced by the number of days and available for all stateroom categories. When adding the all-inclusive package to a cruise, you receive 10 percent off the cruise fare, NCL says. As an example: For a seven-day cruise, the $899 package includes the Ultimate Dining package (a meal each night at a for-fee specialty restaurant), Ultimate Beverage package, $200 per-person shore excursion credit, prepaid daily service charges, a 250-minute Internet package per person, 20 photos of any size, chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of wine, one bingo session and six bottles of water.
If you typically buy all these extras, the package will offer you a pretty nice savings. But if you have no interest in some items (I don't need the photos, wine, strawberries or bingo, and I book my excursions independently and don't trust the spotty Internet service on cruises, for example), this would not represent a good deal for you.
Check out NCL.com for more details and pricing.
Princess Cruises is offering a "Great Getaways Sale" through August 14. The promotion is for a range of short cruises, plus one nine-day Caribbean sampler and features fares at up to a 40 percent discount and $50 in onboard credit when you book a balcony stateroom or higher and $25 for interior or oceanview cabins. Here is what Princess is selling:
West Coast Getaway: three days: $179 interior; $329 balcony
West Coast Getaway: four days: $249 interior; $449 balcony
Eastern Caribbean Getaways: three to five days: from $249 interior; from $429 balcony
Grand Caribbean Sampler: nine days: $499 interior; $899 balcony
More and pricing can be found at princess.com/getaway-sale.
Celebrity Cruises in 2015-16 will take cruisers on its new "Signature Event Sailings." On these sailings, you'll experience iconic global events and celebrations as part of your trip. If you're a history buff or always wanted to go to some of the most famous annual events, you might be particularly interested in some of these trips.
For example, Celebrity's Signature Event Sailings for 2015-16 include:
Anzac Day -- 100th Anniversary Commemoration in Turkey: As part of a 12-night Turkey and Greece cruise departing April 22, 2015, on Celebrity Constellation, you can step back in time with a visit to the battlefields of Gallipoli during the 100th Anniversary of Anzac Day.
Cannes Film Festival: On a 10-night Mediterranean cruise, departing on May 11, 2015, from Barcelona, Spain, Celebrity Equinox will stop at Cannes, France, for the Cannes Film Festival. Step into the world of A-list Hollywood glamor by attending an exclusive VIP rooftop celebration ashore with live French music, cocktails and a view of the picturesque harbor.
The British Open: Departing on July 15, 2015, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, golf enthusiasts can enjoy the oldest and most prestigious of the major professional golf championships -- the British Open -- while on the 12-night British Isle cruise aboard Celebrity Silhouette. VIP experiences include onboard events hosted by a golf pro, entry at the historic championship in St. Andrews, teeing up for a round of golf on stunning courses in three locations during the sailing and the rare opportunity to walk the Old Course.
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro: Ever considered a way to get down to the pulsating action in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during Carnival? Celebrity Infiniti will take cruisers on a 14-night South America and Rio Carnival voyage, departing on January 31, 2016, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Join the fun at the Sambadrome of Rio in an extravagant costume to experience the vibrancy of the iconic Samba Parade in grandstand or VIP seating. The party continues onboard, as professional samba invite you to learn the iconic Brazilian dance.
Chinese New Year in Hong Kong: Ring in the Chinese New Year in one of the most vibrant cities of the Far East -- Hong Kong -- during the 14-night cruise, departing on January 31, 2016, aboard Celebrity Millennium. While in Hong Kong, explore historic landmarks, from the Wong Tai Sin Temple to Kowloon Walled City Park, and participate in a local tradition by visiting the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree.
For more information, check out CelebrityCruises.com.
SeaDream Yacht Club touts a "yachting, not cruising" experience that explores smaller ports and harbors. The line revealed its 2015 Med sailings schedule with new voyages to immerse travelers into the cultures of Greece, Croatia and Italy.
SeaDream's Mediterranean season begins in May and features more than 40 itineraries in the region. Country-focused voyages include:
Croatia -- Dubrovnik to Venice, June 20 to 27; Croatian ports of call include Mljet, Hvar, Split, Sibenik, Rab, Opatija and Rovinj before disembarking in Venice, Italy.
Greece -- Istanbul to Athens (Piraeus), July 25 to Aug. 4; Greek ports include Molyvos, Skopelos, Skiathos, Patmos, Paros, Santorini, Navplion (Mycenae), Hydra and Athens.
Italy -- Rome (Civitavecchia) roundtrip, July 29 to Aug. 8; Italian ports include Costa Smeralda, Sardinia; Trapani, Marettimo, Porto Empedocle (Agrigento), Syracuse, Taormina (Mount Etna), Sicily; Amalfi and Capri along with Bonifacio, Corsica.
The all-inclusive fares start at $3,999 per person. For more details, check out SeaDream.com.
The lines ships have a maximum of 112 passengers onboard and are equipped with wave runners, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and many other watersports activities, all of which can be launched directly from the ship. These cruises are fantastic for the active traveler who also seeks a bit of luxury.
Thanks for reading.
Best luck in your hunt for a great deal. Remember to always travel happy!
JR
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