CruiseMates Newsletter
By Editor Paul Motter
We decided to look for last minute deals in Europe, and we found some beauties. Sailing in September, which is a good month for weather in Britain, France and Italy, we found four cruises to recommend based on price and itinerary.
First Choice: is Norwegian Jewel, sailing a 12-night transatlantic cruise from Dover, England. An unusual itinerary at a great price! Starting at a mere $899 per person, the ship visits Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, Scotland; Reykjavik, Iceland; St Johns, Newfoundland; Halifax, Nova Scotia and ends in New York. You cross the Atlantic ocean but you only have one stretch with two sea days in a row! All the other sea days come one at a time. It's amazing to think you can cross the Atlantic and hit land virtually every other day.
Prices for this cruise are astoundingly low: Interior: $899; Oceanview: $1,149; Balcony: $1,499; Suite: $1,599. I recommend getting the suite, you are sure to see striking views in Scotland and Iceland from your ample balcony. Plus NCL has some of the most appealing suites at sea.
Second Choice: is also from NCL, the brand new Norwegian Jade is sailing a 12-night "Classic Mediterranean" cruise from Barcelona to Istanbul starting at just $999 per person. Unbelievable pricing. This cruise starts in Barcelona and visits Rome, Naples, Venice (overnight), Dubrovnik, Athens, Izmir Turkey and ends in Istanbul overnight with a full day in port for sightseeing and you disembark the following morning.
They call it "classic" for a reason. If you have never been to Europe this cruise will get you to some of the most famous attractions in the entire continent. In Italy you see the Coliseum in Rome, the ruins of Pompei near Naples and get two days in spectaular Venice, the most beautiful city in the world. You see the city-state of Dubrovnik, which once rivaled Venice as a world power. There is the Acropolis in Athens and Ephesus near Izmir, Turkey.
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THE 10 BEST GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Now is the perfect time to plan for the holidays by reserving a 10-night cruise to the Caribbean & Panama Canal, starting from $1,199 per person. Royal Caribbean: 1-800-Royal Caribbean |
Third Choice: is Royal Caribbean's transatlantic on Jewel of the Seas. This is a dream British Isles cruise with a full six days in port before you start your crossing. You begin in Harwich, England; sail to historic Le Havre, France where you can see the beaches of Normandy; on to Plymouth, England; Holyhead, Wales; Dublin and then Cork, Ireland. Three days at sea get you to Newfoundland, two days at sea drops you in Boston, Massachusetts. Welcome home.
The price on this starts at Interior: $1,149; Oceanview: $1,349; Balcony: $1,699
Fourth Choice: is Carnival Freedom 12-nights Mediterranean & Greek Isles. Roundtrip from Rome you see Naples, Italy; Marmaris, Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey; Athens and Katakolon (Olympia)in Greece; Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy and back to Rome with an extra day onboard before you have to disembark.
Prices are as follows: Interior: $1,199; Oceanview: $1,649; Balcony: $2,149; Suite: $3,049. Add in some Carnival incentives like 2-category upgrades and $100 shipboard credit and you have quite a bargain.
new feature articles
2008 Trans-Atlantic Fall Cruise Bargains
Five transatlantic cruises from less than $800 per person sail from Europe to the Americas this fall
Cruise Ship Art Auction Controversy
Art auctions on cruise ships have become controversial for a number of reasons - caveat emptor, buying art is risky and expensive
Delta Queen: The Fight Continues
Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar - caught in a lie - by Fox News in a story about the Delta Queen.
Putting Ship Design into Perspective
With the introduction of Carnival Splendor let's put some ideas on cruise ship design, both interior and exterior, into perspective.
We have thousands of cruise reviews written by people like you. This week's review:
African Safari Club - Nile Cruise: H. L. We traveled with African Safari Club for a cruise on the Nile in Egypt, starting off at Luxor. This holiday was the best holiday that I have ever been on!
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Now is the perfect time to plan for the holidays by reserving a 10-night cruise to the Caribbean & Panama Canal, starting from $1,199 per person.
where the bargains are
- Other HOT Deals...
- From $599 pp
8-Night Mexican Riviera roundtrip San Diego; Acapulco Overnight! plus Ixtapa and Manzanillo. - From $649
7-Day Alaska RT Seattle on NCL Norwegian Star September 6 & 13, 2008 - From $549
Explorer of the Seas to Bermuda, 5-night cruise, Two sea days, two port days.
cruise news
new cruisemates cruises
Norwegian Jewel NY City to Miami
Oct 28-Nov 9 2008 Ports of call: New York City; Samana; Aruba; Curacao; Belize City; Roatan; Miami and a Halloween Party too!
Celebrity Solstice - Brand New ship
SOLD OUT! Our prices were $400+ under everyone else. From $749 balcony! Celebrity's newest ship, Solstice from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl on November 30, 2008. 7 glorious nights, calling on San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. Kitts, St. Maarten, and returning to Ft. Lauderdale.
John Heald's Blogger Cruise 2
Come and join all of John Heald's friends and the CruiseMates' family. Everyone is welcome on this cruise, and it's going to be a ball.
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