Slot Tournament Cruises:
Carnival Cruise Lines and the Ocean Players Club will host four WINNERS Slot Tournament Cruises in 2006. Tournaments take place aboard
Carnival Pride, May 14, 2006 (seven-night Mexican Riviera from Long Beach) and Carnival Legend, September 9, 2006 (eight-night Caribbean from New York). The Grand Final Event takes place aboard Carnival Victory on the November 12, 2006 sailing (seven-night Eastern Caribbean from Miami). Each tournament is offering over $10,000 in cash and cruise prizes which will be awarded at a private cocktail party. For the Grand Final Event aboard Carnival Victory,
over $50,000 in cash and cruise prizes will be presented including a First Prize of $25,000. The top three finalists from the Grand Final tournament win a stateroom for two on a cruise in 2007. The Tournament entry fee is $50 per person and $250 for the Grand Final. Passengers are encouraged to pre-register for the tournament on the Ocean Players Club web site at www.oceanplayersclub.com to confirm their entry as registration upon boarding is dependent on availability.
Golf Program:
Managed by Sunrise, Fla.-based Elite Golf Cruises LLC, the program
includes professional instruction both aboard ship and during golf
excursions ashore. Shipboard lessons, which are available in 30- and 60-minute increments, are conducted by a golf professional who utilizes state-of-the-art V1 teaching computers featuring side-by-side comparisons with top tour players and sophisticated video analysis. Golfers can continue their lessons at home with a take-home video recap, which is available for purchase onboard. Lessons take place in a covered and lighted "practice range" which protects golfers from the elements and allows for both daytime and evening instruction. The "practice range" also serves as the venue for putting contests and various group clinics taking place throughout the voyage. All-inclusive golf excursions include professional golf escort, priority tee times, round-trip transportation between ship and course, and cart and green fees. Equipment rental, including top-of-the-line Callaway clubs and Adidas golf shoes, is also available. A variety of golfing accessories such as golf balls, gloves and apparel are available for purchase, as well. Course information is available by visiting www.CarnivalGolf.com, calling 1-800-324-1106 or faxing a request to 1-954-382-5398.
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CELEBRITY CRUISE LINES
Celebrity Xpeditions: The Xpedition series of excursions offer unique, and often extreme experiences in Celebrity's ports of call. A visit to teh Kremlin in Moscow, exploration of Easter Island or the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, marlin fishing in Mexico, zodiac and helicopter tours in British Columbia, bear watching in Alaska and a private tour of the space center in Houston are among the tours offered. "The Outer Limits of Siberia" to its lineup of Xpeditions shore excursions in 2006. The six-night Xpedition from Anchorage travels to the Kamchatka Peninsula, an area so remote it has been called "Siberia's Siberia". The excursion includes hiking, rafting and off-roading and wildlife spotting. Excursions are described online at www.celebrity.com and can be reserved by calling 866-973-8466.hese excursions are unique and exotic experiences ashore.
Acupuncture at Sea program:
This program is available on all ships except the Zenith and Horizon. Practitioners offer treatment for pain management, smoking cessation, weight loss and stress management; present lectures about acupuncture, feng shui, nutrition and healing with herbs; and diagnose and treat specific syndromes with medicinal herbal formulas.
Cirque de Soleil:
Cirque du Soleil is back in action aboard Constellation and Summit. The revised program features a 30-minute Cirque-style production show in the main theater with three acrobatic acts. The 'taste of Cirque du Soleil' show will be presented twice weekly. This is what passengers had expected when they first heard that Cirque was coming onboard the Celebrity ships and the response to the unusual Bar at the Edge of the Earth concept was lack luster from the time it appeared onboard Constellation last December. The Bar at the Edge of the Earth is once again being used as an observation lounge which converts to a disco at night.
CLIPPER CRUISE LINE
All cruises are destination focused and are an excellent educational and adventure experience. Special Golf Cruise sailings.
Several military-themed cruises are planned to honor those involved in World War II and the Vietnam War. The 122-passenger Clipper Adventurer will take passengers to battle sites along the Mediterranean and Western European coast on the May 17 cruise from Malta to Rome and May 29 sailing from Lisbon to Plymouth. Dr. Kevin McCranie, a 20th-century Europe historian and Civil War and World War II expert Edward Bearss will lead the May 17 cruise. Dr. McCranie will also lead the May 29 sailing which concludes with visits to the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth and Churchill�s Cabinet War Rooms in London. The 128-passenger Clipper Odyssey will feature Vietnam and the islands of the South Pacific on its March 30 cruisetour from Sydney to Guam and September 27 sailing from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Dave McComb, who specializes in the role of American destroyers in World War II will be aboard the March 30 cruise and Major General James Livingston, the Operations Officer for the evacuation of Saigon in 1975 who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts in liberating the village of Dai Do, will be guest lecturer aboard the September 27 sailing. The line is also planning several military-themed adventures planned in 2007.
California Wine and Cuisine Experience cruises feature leading Bay Area chefs, who will host two special onboard events during each cruise. Departing from Redwood City, south of San Francisco International Airport, the cruises call at coastal California and Napa Valley towns. The first evening aboard a reception is held featuring a guest pastry chef. During two days in Vallejo, passengers will be treated to a special dinner excursion aboard the restored 1915 Napa Valley Wine Train; a reception at the acclaimed Napa Valley restaurant Auberge du Soleil; a tour at COPIA - The American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts; a hot-air balloon ride; and have time to explore the area's many vineyards. Also offered is a tour, private cooking demonstration, and lunch at the Culinary Institute of America's campus at Greystone - the training ground for many of Clipper's chefs.
CRUISE WEST
Annual conservation cruise in Alaska to honor Mardy Murie, the mother of the American conservation movement.
Enrichment programs on all sailings include on-board narrative and lectures, special guests from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the library onboard each vessel. "Kodak Ambassadors" help passengers with photography (on some sailings.)
Wine Country Cruises with visits to wineries and wine tasting, September-November, 3 and 4-night cruises from San Francisco to the California Wine Country including Napa and Sonoma.
CRYSTAL CRUISES:
Extensive enrichment programs with celebrity guest speakers and teachers, the Creative Learning Institute, Computer University@Sea and a golf program including professional instruction.
The Creative Learning Institute Participants may take a series of complimentary lectures during their cruise, in a variety of subjects. Lecturers will be onboard from many organizations and schools including Berlitz, The Cleveland Clinic, Society of Wine Educators, Tai Chi Cultural Center, Yamaha, BOOK magazine, Barnes&Noble.com, Pepperdine University and Parsons School of Design. Subject areas include Arts & Entertainment, Business & Technology, Lifestyle, Wellness, Wine & Food.
"The Best Young Chefs of Italy" is a new series to be held at Prego, Crystal's Italian specialty restaurants giving the most-promising chefs an opportunity to create their specialty dishes for Crystal's passengers.
Special Wine & Champagne Makers Dinners are featured in the Vintage Room aboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
Big Band Crossings:
April 29, 2006 - Crystal Symphony - transatlantic - featuring the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and special guest Loren Schoenberg, Executive Director of the Jazz Museum in Harlem.
CRYSTAL CRUISES THEME CRUISES 2006:
Crystal Distinguished Speaker Series
May 8, 2006 Crystal Symphony Lisbon-Athens
June 6, 2006 Crystal Symphony Monte Carlo-Venice
Film Festival
August 31, 2006 Crystal Symphony transatlantic
Health & Fitness
Dec 5, 2006 Crystal Serenity Caribbean
Golf
Aug 19, 2006 Crystal Symphony Rome to London
May 25, 2006 Crystal Serenity British Isles, r/t London
Jazz
Nov 15, 2006 Crystal Serenity Transatlantic
President's Cruise
Aug 30, 2006 Crystal Serenity British Isles, r/t London, hosted by Crystal Cruises' President, Gregg Michel and his family. Special onboard events plus an optional President's Excursion.
The Smithsonian Associates
Sep 28, 2006 Crystal Symphony New England/Canada
Nov 24, 2006 Crystal Symphony Panama Canal
Sotheby's Institute
Sep 21, 2006 Crystal Serenity Mediterranean
Crystal Wine & Food Festival:
Master Chefs from leading restaurants worldwide, Master Sommeliers and wine experts are onboard to share their expertise with passengers:
May 25, 2006 Crystal Symphony Mediterranean
Jun 30, 2006 Crystal Symphony Med/Black Sea
Oct 20, 2006 Crystal Symphony New England
Nov 12, 2006 Crystal Symphony Panama Canal
Dec 6, 2006 Crystal Symphony Panama Canal
May 5, 2006 Crystal Serenity Western Europe r/t London
Jun 4, 2006 Crystal Serenity Baltic Sea/Russia London-Stockholm
Oct 24, 2006 Crystal Serenity Mediterranean, Athens-Monte Carlo
CUNARD LINE
Queen Mary 2:
QM2's enrichment program, Cunard ConneXions, offers workshops, seminars and lectures presenting perspectives from New York and London. Topics include cooking, wine appreciation, foreign languages, photography, film making, British comedy and events at the QM2's planetarium. Classes are led by leaders in fashion, music and the arts; historians and scientists; leading chefs, college professors and top diplomats.
RADA:
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art has produced Britain's finest actors including John Gielgud, Vivienne Leigh, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Juliet Stevenson, Peter O'Toole, and many more. Graduate actors will perform on each Transatlantic Crossing.
DELTA QUEEN STEAMBOAT CO.
Most sailings are theme cruises. Special guests accompany shore adventures and give onboard lectures and demonstrations. A wide variety of topics are covered during the year including Big Band, Blue Grass Jamboree, World War II Remembrance and Veterans Reunion, Civil War, Kentucky Derby, A Native American Celebration, Southern Culture, Steamboat racing, Golfing on the River, Spring Pilgrimage (Gardens), Fall Foliage and Old Fashioned Holiday Vacations.
The New Orleans & Riverboat Adventure Week combines a stay in New Orleans with a cruise aboard the American Queen. 'Adventure America Vacations' combine a short cruise with visits to either the Cajun Country or Gulf Coast. The Golf, Gaming & Riverboat Adventure Week is a golf vacation in Alabama which includes a rental car and a stay at the Radisson of Mobile which houses the Isle of Capri Casino.
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
The annual Film Festival at Sea with Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper has been held aboard Disney ships in recent years. No date yet for 2006. It usually features a sail-away cocktail reception with Ebert and Roeper, a preview of their favorite films from the Sundance Film Festival, open discussion with the critics and a book signing.
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
Culinary Arts Center Special Guests: Holland America Line has partnered with Food & Wine magazine to bring top chefs and wine experts onboard for its Culinary Arts Center program. Operating on all sailings, the program offers cooking demonstrations and wine tastings several times each cruise as well as private optional cooking classes. Food & Wine will also provide recipe cards and wine tasting notes that passengers guests may take home along with copies of the magazine. Also planned are book signings, question and answer sessions, market tours in ports of call, specially designed on-board menus and more. For a current list of HAL's Food and Wine's guest chefs see HAL's Culinary Arts Center page
Special onboard Programs:
Gentleman Hosts dance with single ladies onboard transatlantic crossings, cruises of 14 days or longer and Prinsendam cruises.
Exploration Speaker Series: All Alaska sailings and cruises of more than seven nights in other destinations include the "Exploration Speaker Series", a fascinating way for passengers to learn about the regions visited. Depending on the itinerary, respected authorities speak on topics such as European history, art and architecture, Scandinavian literature and music or Mediterranean cuisine and culture.
The University at Sea also offers lectures of interest to specific professions during the year including the Nurses, Physicians, Architects, Engineers and Veterinarians. Check with your travel agent for specific details.
Onboard golf pro offers clinics and escorts excursions ashore. Computerized golf simulator aboard Prinsendam, Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Noordam.
ORIENT LINES
All sailings, except those in the Mediterranean, feature the Discovery Lecture Series of renowned speakers from around the globe hailing from the worlds of science, history, journalism, politics and diplomacy. These destination experts will give you insights and perspectives far beyond what you would read in the average guidebook.
PETER DEILMANN CRUISES
On the riverboats in Europe in 2006, new music, golf and gardens itineraries and equestrian riding programs will be introduced. The 2006 music cruise aboard the MV Mozart, set for April 2�9, will pay tribute to the composer's 250th birthday; escorted garden tours and golf programs will take place in France, Germany and Austria throughout the season; and horseback riding cruise programs are planned over several months. A fully escorted cruisetour in Holland marks the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt�s death. One of the line's independent cruisetours is the Cezanne Centenary celebrating the 100th anniversary of the artist�s birth. See www.deilmann-cruises.com/theme/index.html.
PRINCESS CRUISES
Across the fleet, the "Scholarship@Sea" program is an expanded roster of enrichment courses including cooking, visual arts, computer skills, photography, finance and the first pottery making classes at sea.
Islands of the Pacific Theater, Pacific Princess, with special guest speakers and events throughout the cruise including USO Night, '40s films, and lectures by WWII historians. Sails from Sydney to Osaka, 21 nights, April 26, 2006 calling at Brisbane, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Chuuk Island (formerly Truk, Micronesia, site of a 1944 battle and today home to a lagoon with sunken war vessels), Guam, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Hiroshima.
RADISSON SEVEN SEAS
Radisson Seven Seas is expanding fleet-wide its "Ambassadors of the Environment" program created in partnership with ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society (OFS). Launched last summer for youngsters on the Paul Gauguin in Tahiti, the partnership will now include a fleet-wide lecture series featuring Ocean Future Society experts, personal appearances by Jean-Michel Cousteau on select sailings, original in-suite TV programming, plus live TV uplinks from dives conducted by Cousteau and his team during select Radisson Seven Seas cruises. Sailings around the world will feature Ocean Futures Society experts lecturing on topics including "Sharks at Risk; Treasures on the Reef - Sustainable Reefs"; "Plankton - Jewels of the Open Sea"; "Keiko - Return to the Wild"; "Close Encounters with Our Ocean Cousins - Marine Mammal Stories"; "Cosmic Ecology - Our World of Water"; "Manfish - Short History of Diving Technology"; "Cities Under the Sea"; and "Finding Nemo with Jean-Michel Cousteau".
The 'Circle of Interest' enrichment program features ship and shore themed packages. The new program is part of Radisson Seven Seas Travel Concierge program.
Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Workshops:
Offered on many sailings thtoughout the year. Limited to 16 participants per cruise: cost $395. per person (subject to change) Reserve in advance.
Spotlight Theme Cruises:
Featuring special guests, onboard activities and shore excursions revolving around the topic. Here's the lineup for 2006:
Spotlight on Yoga and Wellbeing:
Seven Seas Mariner, 10 nights, round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale, January 17, 2006
Seven Seas Mariner, seven nights, Whittier, AK to Vancouver, B.C., September 06, 2006
Spotlight on Food & Wine:
Seven Seas Navigator, seven nights, Ft. Lauderdale to San Juan, January 27, 2006
Seven Seas Voyager, seven nights, Funchal, Madeira to Monte Carlo, May 06, 2006
Seven Seas Navigator, seven nights, Venice to Monte Carlo, May 27, 2006
Seven Seas Voyager, 10 nights, Monte Carlo to Dover, June 09, 2006
Seven Seas Navigator, 10 nights, Dover to Monte Carlo, August 09, 2006
Seven Seas Voyager, 10 nights, London to Monte Carlo, September 06, 2006
Seven Seas Mariner, 14 nights, Singapore to Sydney, November 01, 2006
Seven Seas Navigator, 11 nights, round-trip Ft Lauderdale, November 20, 2006 featuring Thanksgiving at Sea
Spotlight on Chocolate:
Seven Seas Navigator, seven nights, round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale, December 11, 2006
Spotlight on Jazz:
Spotlight on Jazz and Big Band:
Seven Seas Voyager, eight nights, Ft. Lauderdale to Funchal, Madeira, April 28, 2006
Seven Seas Voyager, eight nights, Funchal, Madeira to Ft Lauderdale, November 12, 2006
Spotlight on Chamber Music:
Seven Seas Navigator, 11 nights, Stockholm to Dover, July 29, 2006 featuring a Chamber Music Festival
Seven Seas Mariner Whittier, 14 nights, AK to Tokyo, September 20, 2006 featuring The Fine Arts Quartet
Seven Seas Navigator, eight nights, Funchal, Madeira to Ft Lauderdale, November 05, 2006 featuring a Chamber Music Festival
Spotlight on Theater:
Seven Seas Navigator, eight nights, Ft. Lauderdale to Funchal, Madeira, April 21, 2006
Spotlight on Film:
Seven Seas Mariner, 18 nights, Auckland to Los Angeles, November 30, 2006
Spotlight on Photography:
Seven Seas Mariner, 10 nights, San Francisco to Vancouver, B.C., May 14, 2006
Seven Seas Voyager, eight nights, Civitavecchia (for Rome) to Funchal, Madeira, November 04, 2006
Spotlight on Antiques:
Seven Seas Voyager, 12 nights, Dover to Copenhagen, June 19, 2006
Seven Seas Voyager, 11 nights, Copenhagen to London, August 26, 2006
Seven Seas Navigator, eight nights, Nice to Funchal, Madeira, October 28, 2006
ROYAL CARRIBEAN INTERNATIONAL
*** Royal Caribbean and Whodunit Productions will again present comedy murder mystery events during several cruises in 2006. The mystery 'play' unfolds onboard with participating passengers involved in the action. Participants must reserve second seating dining when booking their cruise. Fees to participate are $99 per person for a three-night cruise and $119 per person for a seven-night cruise. The murder mystery event will be held on the following sailings: Vision of the Seas, seven-night Mexican Riviera, February 26 and November 12, 2006; Mariner of the Seas, seven-night Eastern Caribbean, January 22 and September 3, 2006; Monarch of the Seas, three-night Mexican Baja March 24, October 27 and December 8, 2006; Vision of the Seas, seven-night Alaska, May 12, 2006. For more details visit the Whodunit web site at www.whodunitcruises.com .
SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
The Dress Circle enrichment program on every cruise features leading personalities from the fields of music, theater, film, television, journalism, literature, history, geography, politics, food and wine while Seabourn's flexible golf program gives you the chance to tee-off at courses around the world.
Seabourn has developed a culinary branch of the Dress Circle program called the 'Chefs' Circle'. Guest chefs will give cooking demonstrations onboard and escort "Shopping with the Chef" excursions to local markets in port. Signature dishes from their repertoires will be featured on a Restaurant dinner menu one night during their cruises. Another signature dish will be featured one night in the casual Veranda Cafe indoor/outdoor alternative dining venue onboard. The chefs will also meet passengers as part of the sociable, club-like atmosphere aboard the Seabourn Yachts.
SILVERSEA CRUISES
Silver Links 365 Golf Program:
Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow: A golf pro aboard every cruise gives instruction and leads golf excursions to courses in each port. Includes putting contests, complimentary clinics and demonstrations, the latest V1 video-computer teaching technology, a VHS video of your lesson to take home with voice over by the golf pro.
The Silversea Experience:
Throughout the year, some voyages include complimentary Cultural Adventures like dinner in the Namib Dessert, the ballet in Odessa or a classical concert at Ephesus.
The Spirit of Exploration Cruises:
Leading explorers and scientists are onboard to give lectures, meet individually with passengers and accompany them on some shore tours.
The Written Word:
"The Written Word" series features leading authors and editors who will give lectures and join passengers for discussions. Among the special guests are Brian Hoey, royal biographer and author; Marie Brenner, award-winning author and writer-at-large for Vanity Fair; and Georgette Mosbacher, writer and chief executive of Borghese, the global cosmetic and fragrance company.
Wine Series:
Enjoy lectures, tastings and guided excursions to wineries, cellars and vineyards by top experts and wine makers.
"Relais & Chateaux" Culinary Cruises:
The culinary enrichment cruises showcase the artistry of award-winning chefs from Relais & Chateaux - Relais Gourmands, the distinguished association of boutique hotels and restaurants. A major highlight is the five-course gala dinner, created in the signature culinary style of the guest chef.
STAR CLIPPERS
No theme cruises currently scheduled.
WINDJAMMER CRUISES
No theme cruises currently scheduled.
WINDSTAR CRUISES
Wind Surf - Windstar Cruises calls at the French Riviera each year for the Cannes Film Festival and Monte Carlo Formula 1 Grand Prix. The 2006 sailing sails round-trip from Nice, 14 nights, May 21, 2006 and calls at St. Tropez, Cannes (Overnight, Film Festival), St. Florent, Monte Carlo (2 overnights, Grand Prix), Ponza, Amalfi, Sorrento (Overnight), Portovenere, Portofino.
