Swan Hellenic Takes Passengers Somewhere Different

Visitors at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine, and readers of our blog here continuously tells us how refreshing it is to hear about cruises to destinations other than the usual Alaska or Caribbean ports of call.

To that end we bring you news of Swan Hellenic who are revisiting some classic destinations as well as discovering some hidden gems.

In May 2011, guests on ‘An Italian Serenade’ can visit the picturesque Crotone, located in the southern region of Calabria, Italy, and the small fortified town of Lazio, dominated by a large Aragonese Castle.

In late summer 2011 mv Minerva will make a complete circuit of the Black Sea with visits to Sinop in North Turkey, Batumi in Georgia and the ports of the Crimea.

Many of the upcoming cruise itineraries have reached capacity due to the quality of the expeditions and the breadth of locations this smaller cruise ship is able to travel to, not to mention the inclusive value; which has been Swan Hellenic’s company ethos since 1954. Guests need not worry as Swan Hellenic still have some incredible itineraries left for 2010 including ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’ (26th August), from the lower guarantee fare of £1,299 and ‘The Venetian Republic’ (9th September) from just £1,925 per person.

Swan Hellenic cruises are fast becoming sold out as the success of their 2010 cruise program reaches new heights.

Unprecedented demand for cabins over recent months has meant that Minerva now has less than 100 cabins available on cruises departing before 16th March 2011 and fewer than 50 available on her summer 2010 program.

For more information about Swan Hellenic visit the recently updated SWAN HELLENIC overview page at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine, or visit the official web site at http://www.swanhellenic.com

River Cruises - The Increasingly Popular Cruise Option

In the old days, river cruises were not generally that popular, but there has been a revolution in the river cruise industry and the product is far more appealing than it once was – larger suites, better food, spa facilities. These days, a river cruise ship is more like a boutique hotel – with the advantage in the fact that the the view is always splendid and ever changing.

There are also many more river cruise destinations on offer now than before. A river cruise is no longer simply a trip down the Rhine. New itineraries include the remote Rajang River with Pandaw River Cruises, the winding Saloun and Gambia Rivers of West Africa with Variety Cruises, not forgetting everything from the Yangtze River in China to the Nile and Niger Rivers of Africa, from the Danube, Rhine, or Rhone Rivers of Europe to Amazon cruises in South America, to North America’s Mississippi River, Columbia and Snake Rivers, the Hudson River and the Great Lakes, and the California wine country.

Highlighting the increase in the river cruise market is the increasing momentum in the demand for Swan Hellenic's river cruises.

Fresh from the success of operating a successful 2009 season of river cruises on the Rhône and the Danube, and with their 2010 season virtually sold out several months prior to the first river cruise in May, Swan Hellenic has brought forward the launch of their 2011 river programme on the Rhône, Danube and Rhine to satisfy demand.

Other cruise lines offering river cruises are reporting similar trends.

For more information about river cruises and other types of cruises from senior cruises to gay cruises, adventure cruises to "babymoon" cruises, take a look at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine's section on the different types of cruises at www.prowsedge.com/cruises.html

For more information about river cruises with Swan Hellenic visit http://rivercruises.swanhellenic.com/

TWO MORE INDUSTRY LEADERS SHARE THEIR VIEWS

Two new executives join the View from the Bridge pages at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine in which leaders in the cruise industry share their "views from the bridge", discussing trends and new concepts in cruise travel and offering novel perspectives about cruises and the cruise lines.

Colin Stone, Managing Director, Swan Hellenic, who has been involved in the financial & commercial fields of UK cruise & ferry companies since 1977, and appointed Managing Director of Swan Hellenic in 2008, outlines Swan Hellenic’s long and distinguished heritage of cultural discovery cruises in "SWAN HELLENIC REFINES THE ART OF DISCOVERY CRUISING".

And Mike Deegan, Managing Director, Hebridean Island Cruises, who has spent virtually his entire career in the shipping industry, expounds on his view that Hebridean Island Cruises sets the benchmark for luxury cruising around the Western isles of Scotland in “SAILING THE SCOTTISH ISLES IN A PRINCESS OF A SHIP”

The View from the Bridge pages at Prow's Edge also showcase our archives of contributions from leaders in the cruise industry in years gone by.