NCL’s Pride of America to Offer Trans-Pacific
SailingIf your clients can’t wait to experience the historic new Pride
of America, here’s some welcomed news. The much-anticipated new
member of the NCL America fleet will sail a 10-day Escape to Hawaii
cruise from San Francisco to Honolulu on July 12. The cruise will
include five sea days, and calls in Hilo, Kona, Nawiliwili and
Honolulu.
The Pride of America begins its run of seven-day interisland
Hawaiian cruises on July 23. The vessel is the first brand-new
U.S.-flagged cruise ship in nearly half a century. She will feature
eight restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, a tennis court,
conservatory, art gallery and new “family suites.” The ship’s hull
artwork will feature the Stars and Stripes, and her decor salutes
the diverse regions of the U.S. She joins the Pride of Aloha,
launched in July 2004, in NCL America’s popular Hawaiian
program.
800-327-7030
www.ncl.com
Silversea to Offer First-Ever Grand Mediterranean
Cruise
Silversea Cruises will offer its first-ever Grand Mediterranean
Cruise in the summer of 2005. The 49-day cruise aboard the
ultra-luxurious, 296-passenger Silver Wind will depart on June 19
from Venice. The journey will visit 37 locations, including Italy,
Croatia, Greece, Tunisia, France and Spain.
Guests will enjoy special enrichment lectures, including cooking
demonstrations and a gala gourmet dinner, under the supervision of
Relais & Chateaux guest chef Rick Tramonto of Chicago’s popular
Tru Restaurant. Philip Di Belardino of Castello Banfi Vineyard
& Winery will host wine-making discussions and special wine
tastings.
The cruise will also feature a complimentary classical concert
at the ancient site of Ephesus in Turkey. Guests who book the
entire 49-day voyage will enjoy Combination Cruise savings, plus a
$1,000 onboard spending credit per suite.
Complimentary Business Class air upgrades are available with the
purchase of Silversea’s optional air and hotel program. The Grand
Mediterranean Cruise is a series of five distinctive voyages, which
guests can combine if they wish.
877-215-9986
www.silversea.com
Windstar Expands Med Schedule for 2006
Windstar Cruises’ three-ship fleet will sail a total of 40
voyages in the Mediterranean in 2006. The Wind Surf will sail the
Western Mediterranean from April through November, including a
14-day Nice-to-Nice itinerary that coincides with the Grand Prix
race in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The Wind Star and Wind Spirit will
each sail three seven-day cruises beginning late April and then
again in late October.
The Wind Star will also sail a series of eight cruises between
Athens and Venice in July and August. Ports of call will include
Monemvasia, Katakolon, and Corfu, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The Venice to Athens itinerary calls at Rimini, Italy; Hvar and
Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Cephalonia and Kythira, Greece.
The line will increase the number of its Greek Islands cruises
in 2006. The Wind Star and Wind Spirit will both sail an Athens to
Istanbul itinerary. New for 2006 is the Wind Spirit’s Greek Island
cruises between Istanbul and Athens that include visits to
Canakkale and Izmir, Turkey; Patmos, Agios, Kos and Naxos, Greece;
and Nikolaos, Crete.
On most of the sailings, guests can create longer, 14-day
voyages, without repeating ports of call.
800-258-7245
www.windstarcruises.com
Holland America Debuts Down Under
Holland America Line has announced new cruises in Australia, New
Zealand and Asia aboard the 1,258-passenger ms Statendam. The
cruises will take place from November 2005 to May 2006 and from
September through December of 2006.
Itineraries will include a 35-day South America to South Pacific
repositioning cruise from San Diego to Auckland, plus a series of
10 cruises in 2005-2006 that explore Australia and New Zealand. A
16-day holiday cruise departs Auckland on Dec. 22.
In March 2006, the Statendam sails a 16-day Australia, Orient
and China voyage. In March and April of 2006, the ship will sail
14-day China-Japan voyages between Hong Kong and Osaka that feature
overnight stays in both Shanghai and Beijing. A North Pacific
18-day sailing is scheduled to depart in May 2006, and will journey
from Japan to Russia, en route to Alaska.
After summering in Alaska, the Statendam will return to
Australia and New Zealand with a Pacific crossing in September
2006.
800-544-0443
www.hollandamerica.com
