Swan Hellenic introduces its 2013/14 programme of cruises which sees its flagship 350 passenger ship, Minerva, visiting 16 new destinations. In total, the ship will sail to 184 ports around the world during 2013/14, the company said in a statement.

 

To celebrate the launch of the 2013/14 programme, the destinational UK based cruise line is offering passengers a 10 per cent discount on selected 2013 cruises and free travel insurance.

 

Passengers can benefit from free insurance on all bookings made between 17 April and 31 May 2012 on departures from 21 May 2013. An early booking incentive of 10% is also available on selected sailings during this same period.

 

Plus, for the first time, passengers choosing a higher grade Balcony suite (Grades A-C) can enjoy a complimentary return chauffeur service from their home to the UK airport or port within a radius of 75 miles (excess mileage charges on journeys over 75 miles will apply) on all cruises departing from 13 February 2013. Additional discounts can also be made if, when booking your 2013 cruise, you also book a cruise in 2012, and you can also achieve up to 30% savings on booking Grand Voyages in winter 2012/13. Terms and conditions apply on all these offers. 

 

In Summer 2013 Minerva will be sailing from its home port of Portsmouth, offering a varied programme of no-fly cruises to the Baltic, Norway, Spitsbergen, The British Isles, Iceland, France and Ireland. These include partnership cruises that have been designed in conjunction with the National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society. Fly-cruises are also available, including the Black Sea and the Dalmatian coast and itineraries that explore the Mediterranean in the Autumn sunshine. 

 

Further highlights of the summer 2013 programme include a cruise focusing on Oslo and the Fjords. This cruise, in June 2013, marks Minerva’s return to Oslo and also offers maiden calls in Haugesund, Førde and Ulvik. Scenic cruising in the fjords is a highlight of the cruise, which also features cruising Sognefjord to Flåm, for a chance to ride on the famous railway, and Nordfjord to see the spectacular Briksdal Glacier in Jostedal National Park. Prices start from £2,495 per person for a 16-day cruise.

 

Minerva will visit Spitsbergen for the first time on its Above the Arctic Circle itinerary in July 2013, spending four days calling at the remote settlements of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Ny-Alesund as well as cruising in Magdalenefjord. Prices start from £3,395 per person for a 21-day cruise.

 

Swan Hellenic, a British company founded in 1954, is also announcing its Winter 2013/14 programme, marking the start of its Diamond anniversary year.  Minerva will cruise to the Caribbean, Central America and make a circumnavigation of South America. New ports of call include Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Casilda in Cuba, Cartagena in Colombia and the San Blas islands. Passengers can enjoy the 84-day winter voyage around South America from £11,765 per person.

 

Renowned for its eminent Guest Speakers, the 2013 programme includes Professor Mark Horton, co-presenter of BBC2’s BAFTA award winning programme Coast, the historian Mr Antony Beevor, Dr Andrew Burnett, Deputy Director of the British Museum, and Dr Emily Lethbridge, who recently spent a year in Iceland reading and researching the sagas in the landscapes in which they were written.

 

Swan Hellenic’s Managing Director, Colin Stone commented:

 

“Our passengers are constantly in search of new cultural experiences and enjoy visiting destinations that other larger cruise lines do not explore. With the addition of 16 new ports of call across five continents the forthcoming programme has something to suit all tastes. In addition, we always listen to our passengers’ comments and are pleased to be able to announce some new launch promotions. We anticipate that the complimentary insurance and chauffeur service will be well received, further reinforcing Swan Hellenic’s reputation of exceptional inclusive value small ship discovery cruising.”

 

Further highlights of the 2013 programme include:

 

-     The Realms of the British Isles cruise in partnership with the National Trust. This 15-day itinerary offers visits to distinguished National Trust houses, gardens and also features scenic cruising in the Inner Hebrides and along the Jurassic coast of Dorset. National Trust Guest Speakers feature on this cruise. Prices start from £2,175 per person for the 15-day cruise.

-     In partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, and with an RHS Guest Speaker, explore further off the beaten track with a cruise to the Shores of the Emerald Isle. Visit diverse gardens and enjoy maiden calls in the remote ports of Dingle in Eire, Inishmore on the Isles of Arran and the nature sanctuary of Lundy Island.  Prices start from £2,175 per person for the 15-day cruise.

-     Rhythms of Cuba and the Caribbean offers two days exploring Havana, a full day in Santiago de Cuba and a morning call in Casilda, allowing exploration of many of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Cuba. Prices start from £1,950 per person for the 16-day cruise.

 

All brochure prices include return flights to/from the UK, transfers, a comprehensive selection of inclusive shore excursions in every port, and the opportunity to listen to enlightening talks by the eminent Guest Speakers on board. There are no additional gratuities or hidden extras and entrance fees to all attractions featured in the shore excursion programme are also included.