What is a Grand Voyage?

There are a lot of terms tossed about in the world of cruises and cruising – strange words and vocabulary that we’re not accustomed to hearing every day.

Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine explains some of those terms you might be likely to hear while on board your cruise ship in Cruise Ship Vocabulary and Glossary.

But what about some of those terms like “Grand Voyage” mentioned in the latest press release about Holland America Line and their Grand Voyages in 2011 and 2012?

Also referred to as “grand world voyages” or simply “world cruises”,
grand voyages are cruises that are longer than most cruises (often over 120 days) typically offered by the luxury and premium cruise lines like Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Fred.Olsen, P&O, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea and the Yachts of Seabourn.

Many of the grand voyages, perhaps because many of them are on British cruise lines, begin and end their cruises in Southampton.

The majority of cruisers take advantage of the entire cruise itineraries offered in the “grand voyage” sector of the market, but shorter segments of the cruise are also very popular with passengers who do not have three months or more to spare, or who would rather split their cruise dollars over a number of different cruises each year, rather than just one. Such segments can be of any length from 9 to 47 days.

One of the advantages of booking an entire world cruise rather than a small segment of it is in the savings on special deals on shore excursions and even in some cases, onboard credit.

For more about such world cruises visit the recently updated page about WORLD CRUISES at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine

Another reason to cruise European

European cruise lines are finally following the trend set by Yachts of Seabourn, Silversea Cruises, SeaDream and lately Regent Seven Seas Cruises in the provision of all-inclusive cruises, but they’re doing it in a slightly different way – by offering packages that cruise passengers can purchase before the cruise or on embarkation.

Thomson Cruises, for example, offers an all-inclusive drinks package that includes draft beer, spirits, aperitifs, house wines, soft drinks and a range of cocktails.

Louis Cruise Lines’ drinks package includes drinks from the bar and wine in the restaurant.

MSC Cruises offers an unlimited drinks package that includes a selection of bottled wines, mineral water, beer and soft drinks, and a second package that includes soft drinks and mineral water.


And starting in 2011, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be offering a new and attractive price structure for its premium ship, the MS Columbus. With the “Columbus all-inclusive package,” extras on board will become a thing of the past. For anyone booking a “Columbus all-inclusive package,” all 81 drinks on the beverages list – from soft drinks to exotic cocktails – all tips on board and even a package of two to four shore excursions per cruise are included in the price.


The larger cruise lines plying the waters of the Caribbean seem reluctant to follow the trend - though some cruise lines, like Celebrity Cruises are offering wine packages and will be offering more elaborate drinks packages in the future.

For the moment - it’s just another reason to cruise European.

For more information about all-inclusive cruises visit the ALL INCLUSIVE CRUISES page at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine

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

Something REALLY Different for the Holidays

If you're really looking to get away from it all for the holidays - Variety Cruises has two programs sailing over the holiday season and they're very different from the usual offerings for the season.

Rivers of West Africa and King & Pharaohs offer passengers local cuisine, intimate surroundings, and an authentic experience aboard lavish mega yachts.

The Rivers of West Africa cruise explores a land of lush vegetation and cultural beauty by way of the winding Saloun and Gambia rivers. Embarking from Dakar, Senegal, the program sails from December 17 - 24, 2010, with fares beginning at $2,490 per person. An optional seven-day land program extension in Mali and Timbuktu following the cruise is available for additional cost. Alternative holiday travel dates include December 24 – 31, 2010 and December 31, 2010 through January 7, 2011.

The Kings & Pharaohs cruise sails along the Red Sea coast, including Egypt, Jordan and other gateway ports to world famous sites of ancient history. A one-way cruise between Aqaba, Jordan and Suez, Egypt sails from December 24 - 29, 2010. Travel is available from Suez to Aqaba December 29, 2010 through January 3, 2011. Fares begin at $1,490 per person, per week.

For more information visit www.varietycruises.com, 1-866-944-8498 (Canada) and 1-800-319-7776 (US).

For an overview of Variety Cruises, visit the VARIETY CRUISES page at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

New Ships for Luxury Cruise Sector

In our last blog item we talked about the growth of the river cruises sector of the cruise industry.

The very same survey that gives us that information – see CRUISE LINE GROWTH SECTORS – comes news that it is not only the river cruises sector that is experiencing growth, but the luxury cruises sector as well.

One of the reasons for this growth, say cruise travel agents, is that luxury cruises are now no longer the prerogative of the very wealthy. Summer incentives and promotions have made luxury cruising more affordable than before. 79% of the cruise travel agents in the survey agreed that luxury cruise clients are somewhat or much more apt to make a purchase with a special offer.

Another major reason for the growth of the luxury cruise sector is the introduction of luxury on contemporary and upmarket brands in the form of exclusive suite accommodations, luxury spas, “yacht clubs” and more. The result is far greater choice in cruise ships, itineraries and shipboard experiences for those travelers seeking true luxury.

There is an the increased number of new ships being launched in the luxury cruises market. These include:

2010

Seabourn Cruise Line: Seabourn Sojourn

Cunard Line: Queen Elizabeth

2011

Oceania Cruises: Marina (2011)
Pearl Cruises: PearlMist
Seabourn Cruise Line: Seabourn Quest

For more about luxury cruises, visit the LUXURY CRUISES page at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine

Photo: Yachts of Seabourn's Seabourn Sojourn

River Cruises on the Rise - Who Knew?

Who knew that river cruises would be one of the top growth sectors of the cruise industry, or that luxury cruises would also be up there at the top of the list.

But that is exactly what has happened.

In our latest news item about CRUISE LINE GROWTH SECTORS the Cruise Lined International Association (CLIA) reveals the results of their survey of cruise lines and travel agents and what’s new in cruise trends and consumer attitudes.

They all agree that the demand for luxury and river cruises is growing and that the main motivating factor is the “destination”.

It shouldn’t be a surprise then to also learn that 3 new river cruise boats are being launched this year, and that a further 5 new vessels will be setting sail next near in 2011.These include:

2010
AmaWaterways: ms Amakaterina
Avalon Waterways: Felicity and Luminary

2011
AmaWaterways: ms Amabella, ms Amaverde, ms Amalotus
Avalon Waterways: Panorama
Uniworld Grand River Cruises: River Antoinette

For more information about river cruises visit the RIVER CRUISES page at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine

Photo: AmaWaterways’ brand new ms Amakaterin built for the Russian Rivers

Who's Who of Fascinating Travel Companions

Lindblad Expeditions has announced their Global Luminaries program for 2010/2011 and the line up is impressive!

Renowned for their staff’s expertise in the regions they explore, Global Luminaries will add an extra layer of interest and insight to their expeditions with special guests drawn from the top tiers of world affairs, broadcast journalism, and exploration and research.

The Global Luminaries title refers to what these remarkable individuals contribute to the expedition community at large - a relevant global perspective. The unique program is available exclusively aboard National Geographic Explorer and affords guests the opportunity to travel and explore with world-class personalities, as fellow guests, in the intimate and conversational environment of an expedition - and not just in the context of a presentation or talk from the podium.

Some of the upcoming luminaries who will be traveling this season include:

Gro Brundtland: Former Prime Minister of Norway. UN Special Envoy on Climate Change.
· The Baltics, August 28, 2011 & Antarctica, November 26, 2011

Mary Robinson: First woman President of Ireland. Formerly the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
· British & Irish Isles, May 16, 2011

Mikhail Gorbachev: Former President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Peace Laureate, Cold War reformer and 20th-century visionary. President Gorbachev will meet with Lindblad guests in St. Petersburg.
· The Baltics – Aug. 28 & Sept. 5, 2011

Lech Walesa: From electrician to Labor Leader to Nobel Prize winner to the elected President of Poland, he is fascinating and will visit with us in Gdarisk.
· The Baltics – Aug. 28 & Sept. 5, 2011

Elizabeth Kolbert: Journalist, Staff Writer for The New Yorker and Author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change.
· Ice Bears – June 23, 2011

Robert Siegel: Senior host of NPR’s award-winning All Things Considered he has reported from all over Western and Eastern Europe.
· European Odyssey, Sept. 19, 2011

John Evans: Member of an historic 10-member expedition in 1966, sponsored in part by the National Geographic Society, which became the first to summit the highest point in Antarctica.
· Antarctica – Nov. 27, 2010

Peter Hillary: Born into mountaineering royalty. Summited the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, and established a new overland route to the South Pole.
· Antarctica, Dec. 7, 17 & 27, 2010

Tim Severin: Explorer, Historian, Author and Filmmaker; has literally travelled the legendary routes of myth and established maritime and exploration historic facts.
· Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands, Feb. 15, 2011

For reservations contact your travel agent or for additional information on Lindblad Expeditions’ voyages to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places on earth visit www.expeditions.com or call 1-800-EXPEDITION.

Cunard - 170 years and still going strong

History was made in Liverpool recently when Her Royal Highness, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall graced the decks of Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria as the ship made her maiden call in Liverpool. The day marked The Duchess’ second visit to the ship - her first was for the ship’s naming ceremony in December 2007 when she christened the liner.

Not only did The Duchess reacquaint herself with “her” ship and crew, but she also helped Cunard commemorate the 170th anniversary of the company’s first ship, the Britannia, which set sail from Liverpool in July 1840.

In January 2011, Queen Victoria will begin her first Americas season, traversing the Panama Canal on more than one voyage and making two rare roundtrip sailings from Los Angeles to Hawaii, plus debuting her maiden Mexico Getaway voyage.

Prior to embarking on her maiden Americas season, Queen Victoria will meet Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth in New York Harbour for another spectacular Cunard Royal Rendezvous on 13 January 2011, exactly three years to the day that she met Queen Mary 2 and QE2 in New York for the first meeting of the three Queens. For more information, visit www.cunard.com/rendezvous.

For more information about Queen Victoria or to book a voyage, consult your travel professional, call toll-free 1-800-7-CUNARD, or go to www.cunard.com.