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MSC Cruises gives up to £500 per cabin on board credit in UK promotion

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Latest offers Latest offers; Published: 16 March 2016 16 March 2016

The MSC £xtra promotion – which starts on March 23 – combines superb low prices with the benefits of up to £500 onboard credit per cabin and the option of a cabin upgrade.

Holidaymakers can get more for their money on sailings from July 1, 2016 until April 2017, including autumn ex-UK sailings from Southampton, cruises in the Caribbean and sailings in the Emirates meaning there’s plenty of choice for guests planning their next big adventure. The offer is valid on both fly-cruise and cruise-only holidays.

New managing director UK & Ireland Antonio Paradiso said: ”By giving guests money to spend during their MSC cruise, we are giving them access to the huge range of activities available on board. MSC Cruises offer something for everyone on board so we are confident that this offer will tempt in new guests and win us more fans.”

Onboard credit available is £100 per cabin for an inside; £150 for an outside; £200 for a balcony and £500 for a suite, including Yacht Club. Options for spending this credit include luxurious spa treatments, exciting excursions, a meal in one of the speciality restaurants and a shopping spree in the duty free shops on board.

As well as onboard credit, guests also have the option to upgrade their Experience from just £30 per person (from Bella to Fantastica) and their cabin from just £80 per person (from inside to outside).

Of course the ‘Allegrissimo’ drinks package is available as an add on for just £20 per person per night (children £9 per night). The ‘Allegrissimo’ package includes unlimited drinks, featuring a wide range of big-name brands from the bar list; cocktails; a dedicated selection of wines by the glass; draught beer; soft drinks; milkshakes; smoothies and fruit juices. It also includes hot drinks such as MSC Cruises’ acclaimed Italian coffee selection and its award-winning gelato in a cone or cup. All items are available in all bars and restaurants, including speciality restaurants.

MSC Cruises is the undisputed leader in the Mediterranean, with seven ships in the region for summer 2016. MSC Preziosa, MSC Fantasia, MSC Poesia and MSC Armonia will operate seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean, with MSC Magnifica, MSC Orchestra and MSC Sinfonia operating seven-night cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Alternative summer 2016 options include the Norwegian Fjords or Baltic capitals aboard MSC Opera and MSC Musica; Caribbean sailings aboard MSC Divina; and Northern Europe sailings from Southampton on MSC Splendida.

For winter 2016/2017, the MSC £xtra offer applies to a varied selection of winter-sun destinations. This includes three Caribbean options (sailings from Miami, Bridgetown, Barbados and Havana, Cuba); the Emirates and the Mediterranean.

Summer 2016 example prices:

MSC Preziosa: Seven-night Western Med fly-cruise from Genoa, Italy, departing October 16, 2016, calling at Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Palermo, Sicily; Valletta, Malta; Valencia, Spain; Marseille, France and Genoa. Fly-cruise from £649pp, including flights from London or Manchester, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit. Cruise-only price £449pp also including £100 per cabin onboard credit [Civitavecchia and Marseille embarkation also available].

MSC Magnifica: Seven-night Eastern Med fly-cruise from Venice, Italy, departing October 8, 2016, calling at Bari, Italy; Katakolon, Greece; Mykonos, Greece; Piraeus, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Venice. Fly-cruise from £699pp, including flights from London, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit. Cruise-only price £499pp, including £100 per cabin onboard credit.

MSC Musica: Seven-night Baltic Capitals fly-cruise from Kiel, Germany, departing September 3, 2016, calling at Copenhagen, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; St Petersburg, Russia; and Kiel. Fly-cruise from £949pp, including flights from London, overseas transfers and £100 onboard credit per cabin. Cruise-only price £649pp including £100 per cabin onboard credit

MSC Divina: 7-night Western Caribbean fly-cruise from Miami, US, departing July 30, 2016, calling at Nassau, Bahamas; Philipsburg, St Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami, US; All-inclusive fly-cruise price from £1,049pp, including flights from London, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit. Cruise-only £349ppwith £100 per cabin onboard credit.

MSC Splendida: Seven-night Continental Coast cruise from Southampton departing September 7, 2016, calling at Zeebrugge, Belgium; Amsterdam, Netherlands (overnight); Hamburg, Germany; Le Havre, France and Southampton. Cruise-only from £499pp including car parking for the duration of the cruise and £100 per cabin onboard credit.

Winter 2016/17 example prices:

MSC Magnifica: 11-night Western Med fly-cruise from Genoa, Italy, departing December 17, 2016, calling at Barcelona, Spain; Casablanca; Morocco; Santa Cruz, Tenerife; Funchal, Madeira; Malaga, Spain; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy and Genoa. Fly-cruise from £649pp, including flights from London, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit. Cruise-only price £449pp including £100 per cabin onboard credit [Civitavecchia embarkation also available].

MSC Fantasia: Seven-night Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman fly-cruise from Abu Dhabi, UAE, departing January 8, 2017, calling at Muscat, Oman; Khasab, Oman; Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; Dubai, UAE (overnight stay) and Abu Dhabi. All-inclusive fly-cruise from £849pp, including flights from London, Manchester or Dublin, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit. Cruise only £349pp [Dubai embarkation also available] including £100 per cabin onboard credit.

MSC Opera: Seven-night Cuba and Caribbean fly-cruise from Havana, Cuba, departing January 28, 2017. Guests stay two nights on-board in Havana before sailing to Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico and Havana. Fly-cruise from £1,149pp, including flights from London, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit. Cruise-only price from £399pp including £100 per cabin onboard credit

MSC Poesia: 14-night Southern Caribbean fly-cruise from Bridgetown, Barbados, departing January 24, 2017, calling at Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; St George, Grenada; Roseau, Dominica; Fort de France, Martinique; Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe; Philipsburg, St Maarten; Road Town, BVI; La Romana, Dominican Republic; Basseterre, St Kitts & Nevis; St John’s, Antigua & Barbuda; Fort de France, Martinique; Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe; Castries, St Lucia and Bridgetown. All-inclusive fly-cruise from £1,049pp including flights from London, overseas transfers and £100 per cabin onboard credit.

All prices are all based on two sharing

Viking River Cruises offers reduced single rates

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Latest offers Latest offers; Published: 29 January 2016 29 January 2016

Viking River Cruises has announced that for a limited time it will offer a special reduced Single Traveler supplement starting at 25 percent on top-selling river cruises, along with reduced airfare starting at $195.

The new promotion is the first of its kind for Viking, providing a unique value for solo travelers to experience three of the company’s most popular itineraries: Danube Waltz, Tulips & Windmills, and Rhine Getaway.

“We have always been proud to offer our guests the widest variety of stateroom categories and sailing options of any river cruise line,” said Richard Marnell, Viking’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “This new promotion offers even more choices for our guests to explore in comfort onboard our award-winning Viking Longships, sailing with other travel companions or just by themselves.”

Offer Details

Viking’s new offer for single travelers applies to new bookings from U.S. residents made before February 29, 2016. Air prices are per person based on cruise/cruisetour check-in date, and include transfers. Guests may select from three European river itineraries on Viking Longships:

Danube Waltz(8 days; Budapest – Passau) – Explore Europe’s most enchanting countries along the Danube, visiting Budapest, Vienna, the Wachau Valley, Passau, Melk and Salzburg.
Tulips & Windmills(10 days; Amsterdam – Antwerp – Amsterdam) – Witness the splendor of Holland’s tulips in spring, and visit beautifully preserved medieval cities in Belgium.
Rhine Getaway(8 days; Amsterdam – Basel) –See Holland’s famous windmills, Germany’s romantic castles,multicultural Strasbourg and the Black Forest

Crystal Cruises in Wave Season promotion

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Latest offers Latest offers; Published: 08 January 2016 08 January 2016

Options abound for travelers as the cruise industry enters “Wave Season,” the most common time for cruise bookings due to the diverse selection of value added offers. 2015 was a groundbreaking year for The World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line™, as Crystal unveiled plans for the most significant brand expansion in luxury travel history. Now, the line is kicking off 2016 with the newly introduced “Crystal Exclusive Journeys,” incentivizing discerning travelers to combine their Crystal experiences on the line’s award-winning ocean ships, the newly christened luxury yacht and the five upcoming river yachts.

For the first time, luxury travelers can combine two Crystal travel experiences for additional savings. Guests can book voyages on Crystal’s river yachts by the February 29 “Book Now” deadline – set for embarkation in 2016 and 2017 – and enjoy extra savings on sailings aboard the two ocean ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, and Crystal’s luxury yacht Crystal Esprit. For instance, guests booking the October 3, 2017 seven-day river cruise round-trip from Bordeaux through France’s wine country aboard Crystal Ravel, can continue their journey aboard Crystal Symphony’s 11-day, October 10 sailing round-trip from Lisbon with 15% savings. Likewise, guests who book the 14-day, July 2, 2017 cruise along the Rhine River from Frankfurt to Amsterdam aboard Crystal Bach will also save 20% on Crystal Esprit’s weeklong July 16 sailing from Athens to Dubrovnik.

“The expansion of the Crystal brand over the next few years translates directly to the expansion of travelers’ options, and these extended ‘journeys’ offer the perfect opportunity to explore more of the world without sacrificing a bit of luxury, or having to choose just one Crystal vacation!” says Crystal president and CEO, Edie Rodriguez. “Returning guests will relish the chance to extend their vacations with us, while new guests will be able to enjoy a more comprehensive sampling of the renowned Crystal experience.”

In addition to the Exclusive Journeys, the all-inclusive line is offering added value and compelling savings on some of the most coveted vacation experiences in the luxury travel industry, with cruise fares for its ocean vessels, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, starting at just $1,845 per guest for bookings made by the February 29 “Book Now” deadline. For select 2016 voyages in Hawaii, Panama Canal, Pacific Coast, Alaska, Antarctica, Asia, South America, Mediterranean, British Isles, Baltic/North Cape, Caribbean, and New England/Canada luxury travelers can enjoy savings in all categories of accommodations and as much as $5,435 per person.

In addition to the “Book Now” incentive fares, Crystal offers a host of opportunities for travelers to realize exceptional value on select voyages around the world including complimentary third berths and perks for large groups and those traveling with kids through the Crystal Memories special offer; reduced single supplements for solo cruisers, including Crystal Yacht Cruises, low fares for abbreviated Crystal Getaways; additional savings on Explorer Combination Cruises; and even a 2.5% incentive for those who pay in full six months in advance.

Oceania Cruises expands popular value-add program – introduces new OLife choice promotion

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Latest offers Latest offers; Published: 17 December 2015 17 December 2015

Beginning January 1, Oceania Cruises will introduce a new evolution to its popular OLife promotion by providing guests with the flexibility to choose from a variety of complimentary amenities when booking a cruise vacation that departs on or after April 25, 2016. The new OLife Choice promotion replaces the existing OLife Early Booking Advantage program which concludes on December 31, 2015.

The OLife Choice promotion provides guests with complimentary amenities that enhance their Oceania Cruises vacation, including free unlimited internet access and a choice of a beverage package, free shore excursions or a shipboard credit. The number of complimentary shore excursions offered and the amount of shipboard credit is dependent on the length of the cruise -- ranging from three shore excursions or a $300 credit for voyages up to nine days to five shore excursions and $500 credit for sailings 14 days or longer. The promotion is valid for six months and is scheduled to conclude on June 30, 2016.

“When we first launched Oceania Cruises, one of our foundational strategies was to reward guests who booked their cruise vacations early,” said Jason Montague, president and chief operating officer for Oceania Cruises. “With our recent OLife promotional programs we’re getting back to our roots and providing guests who book early the best possible offer with included amenities designed to help further enrich their Oceania Cruises vacation.”

The simplicity and inherent value of OLife Choice further unifies Oceania Cruises’ promotional strategy, making it easy for travel partners to communicate the tremendous benefits of booking early. The OLife Choice program is offered on all sailings departing on or after April 25, 2016 and is available to all guests, regardless of suite or stateroom category booked.

“The response to our first OLife promotion was extraordinary,” said James Rodriguez, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Oceania Cruises. “The new OLife Choice promotion follows a similar easy-to-understand approach, but thanks to feedback from our guests and travel partners, we took it to another level by including additional amenities and offering even more flexibility.”

Fred. Olsen to launch turn of the year campaign that includes three cruises for two offer

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Latest offers Latest offers; Published: 01 December 2015 01 December 2015

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destinational operator of four ships, says it will be launching its new ‘Turn of Year’ sales campaign on 2nd December 2015, which incorporates three great-value offers to tempt guests: ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’, ‘Free Tips & Tipples’ and ‘Up to £100 per Person Cashback’. The new promotion is available until 2nd March 2016, and has been designed to target single cruise bookers, multiple cruise purchases and newcomer bookings.

From 2nd December 2015, Fred. Olsen guests can book three cruises at the same time, with the same lead name, and benefit from ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’ on all 2016/17 itineraries, where the cheapest cruise will be free of charge (this offer excludes Black Watch’s W1610 ‘Arctic Explorer’ cruise, and is not combinable with the ‘Free Tips & Tipples’ offer, but is combinable with the ‘Up to £100 per Person Cashback’ offer).

Fred. Olsen is also offering a ‘Free Tips & Tipples’ upgrade, on cruises with durations of between five and 35 nights. This deal includes selected house wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks on board, and Fred. Olsen will also pay guests’ gratuities (this offer excludes Black Watch’s W1610 ‘Arctic Explorer’ cruise and ‘Grand Voyage’ sectors, and is not combinable with the ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’ offer, but is combinable with the ‘Up to £100 per Person Cashback’ offer).

In addition to these two sales initiatives, Fred. Olsen will also be offering ‘Up to £100 per Person Cashback’ on 20 selected cruises in 2016, when booked before 31st January 2016. The cashback is given as an onboard account credit for use during the cruise, and is non-transferable. Any unused spending credit may be claimed as cash on board at the end of the cruise (this offer is combinable with both the ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’ and ‘Free Tips & Tipples’ offers).

Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Research has shown that 53% of cruisers take more than one cruise holiday per year*. Therefore, with our great-value offer of ‘Three Cruises for the Price of Two’, our loyal guests can plan ahead for 2016/17 by booking all of their holidays, knowing that they are making excellent savings. Our ‘Free Tips & Tipples’ upgrade also gives guests complete peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that almost everything is covered in the price of their holiday.

“Our exciting cashback offer means that we will credit a guest’s onboard account with up to £100 on 20 selected 2016 cruises, and they can choose to indulge in a spa treatment, a shore excursion or a little shopping in the onboard shops! However, if none of that appeals, the amount can also be claimed back as cash at the end of the cruise.”

Fred. Olsen has also enhanced its industry-leading ‘Enjoyment Promise’. Guests sailing on their first-ever cruise can now book their next holiday whilst on board the ship, for just a £1 per person deposit, which will be added to their onboard account. ‘Fred.’s Enjoyment Promise’ was launched in December 2013, and gives new guests the reassurance that, should they find that a cruise is not for them, Fred. Olsen will arrange and pay for their flight back to the UK, plus refund the cost of their cruise**.

In the 2016/17 cruise season, Fred. Olsen will set sail to over 200 destinations worldwide from ten convenient, regional departure ports – Dover, Southampton, Harwich, Tilbury, Falmouth (a new addition), Belfast, Liverpool, Greenock (Glasgow), Rosyth (Edinburgh) and Newcastle.

So, whether you want to cruise the Norwegian fjords, Baltic, Mediterranean, Canaries, along the rivers of Europe or the shores of the UK, or just fancy a quick mini-break, Fred. Olsen has just the right, great-value holiday for you!

Fred. Olsen is delighted to have won the ‘Best for Itineraries’ accolade in the 2015 Cruise Critic ‘UK Editors’ Picks Awards’, in recognition of its commitment to ‘bringing the world closer to you’.

Fred. Olsen is pleased to have been awarded the ‘Gold Trusted Merchant’ status by independent review site Feefo in 2015, for the second year in a row. This accreditation is based on genuine customer feedback and, to date, Fred. Olsen has received over 12,000 reviews, with 95% of these being in the ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ categories.