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MSC Cruises launches Keep It Simple Med cruise promotion on UK market

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

MSC Cruises is standardising prices for all of its summer 2012 Mediterranean cruises, irrespective of the ship or the itinerary, the company said in a statement.

“Welcome to the KIS promotion! KIS – Keep It Simple – does just what it says on the tin. No gimmicks, no confusing red tape and no spending hours comparing prices and routes,” MSC Cruises said.

Booking periods are divided into three seasons: low (April, May, October and November), medium (June and September) and high (July and August). Prices for any 7/8 night 2012 summer Mediterranean cruise departing during low season start from £549 per person including flights (£699 for 11 nights). All Medium season prices start from £699 per person including flights (£849 for 11 nights) and All high season prices start from just £849 per person including flights (£999 for 11 nights).

These prices translate into quite incredible savings for MSC customers, ranging from as much as £410 per person in low season through to a staggering £840 in high season. Passengers can choose a cabin upgrade, and again there will be just one price across all MSC’s ships sailing the Mediterranean in summer 2012, over the three booking periods.

Cruise only prices are available on the same basis, with prices reduced by £200 per person. MSC Opera itineraries from Southampton and Northern Europe sailings from Kiel and Hamburg are excluded from this offer. The KIS promotion is valid on new bookings made from 27th December 2011 to 29th February 2012.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to offer three antiques themed cruises in 2012

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – awarded ‘Best Educational Cruise’ by readers of Cruise International magazine in 2011 – is offering three cruises in 2012 with ‘Antiques’ as the special topic, through its acclaimed onboard enrichment programme,Vistas. On each cruise, there will be celebrated experts from the world of antiques, sharing their knowledge and passion with like-minded guests. Each of these experts appears as an appraiser on the BBC’s celebrated and long-running ‘Antiques Roadshow,’the company said in a statement.

Antiques-collecting is one of the UK’s most popular pastimes; the popularity of antiques fairs and auctions continues unabated, with TV shows like 'Antiques Roadshow', ‘Cash in the Attic’ and ‘Flog It!‘ going from strength to strength. So, what better way to indulge an interest in antiques than taking a cruise to some of Europe's most interesting cities, brimming with a wealth of art and antique collections, in the company of the most knowledgeable experts in the field?

The Fred. Olsen experts are:-

Lars Tharp

The Danish-born historian, lecturer and broadcaster is one of the longest-standing experts on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’. Lars originally trained as an archaeologist, and was a Director of Sotheby’s, where he specialised in European ceramics, Chinese ceramics and Oriental works of art. In 2008, Lars was appointed the Director of the Foundling Museum in London, and Visiting Professor at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Will Farmer

Will specialises in 20^th Century decorative arts, covering ceramics, glass and furniture. He studied at the Birmingham School of Jewellery, undertaking a combined BA Honour degree in Silversmithing and Fine Art History. Will has featured as an expert on the ‘20^th Century Roadshow’, and is now in his fourth season as an expert with the ‘Antiques Roadshow’.

Marc Allum

Marc has been a miscellaneous specialist on the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ for 12 years. His interest in antiques began as a child, buying and collecting from an early age, and later becoming an auctioneer and Director of a London auction house; a career he pursued for 16 years. Marc has worked on many other television programmes, including ‘20th Century Roadshow’, ‘Going for a Song’, Bargain Hunt’, ‘Cash in the Attic’ and ‘Moving Day’, in addition to appearing on Discovery Television, Channel Four News and various radio shows.

Clive Stewart-Lockhart

Clive joined Sotheby’s after leaving Marlborough College in 1973. Although his career at Sotheby’s was interrupted by periods at Bluett & Sons and Bonhams, he worked in the auction house’s Valuation Department for five years. Clive then joined the auctioneers Dreweatt Neate in 1982, and now heads their Fine Art Department. His specialties are pictures, works of art, and Oriental ceramics. On the ‘Antiques Roadshow’, his areas of expertise are books, miscellaneous, pictures and paintings.

Paul Viney

Paul is Chairman of Woolley & Wallis, the Salisbury-based fine art auctioneers. He began his career at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. He then worked for the National Trust at Waddesdon Manor, the former Rothschild house near Aylesbury, before joining Phillips Auctioneers, where he was Vice President in New York for three years and European Director from 1986 until 1992. He is well known to Radio 2 listeners for his annual Children in Need auctions with Terry Wogan, Jimmy Young, Ken Bruce and others. He has lectured extensively.

You can join these fascinating experts free of charge on the following Fred. Olsen cruises in 2012:

Black Watch, W1207, 13-night cruise to ‘The Baltic with Norway’

Departing from Dover on 24^th June 2012, this cruise calls at Kiel (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), for an overnight stay; Helsinki (Finland), Turku (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Kristiansand (Norway), before returning to Dover.

Prices start from £1,699 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin’ Grade ‘E’. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes. The Vistas theme on this cruise is hosted by Lars Tharp and Clive Stewart-Lockhart.

Boudicca D1221, 12-night cruise to ‘Stockholm & St. Petersburg

Departing from Newcastle (Port of Tyne) on 14^th September 2012, this cruise calls first at Stockholm (Sweden), where the ship is at anchor, then Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia) for an overnight stay; Rønne (Bornholm, Denmark), and Kalundborg (Denmark), before returning to Newcastle.

Prices for this cruise start from £1,559 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. The antiques experts on this cruise are Marc Allum and Will Farmer.

Braemar M1223, 14-night cruise to ‘St. Petersburg, Helsinki & Stockholm’

Departing from Dover on 22^nd September 2012, this cruise calls at Warnemünde (Germany) for tours to Berlin; Stockholm (Sweden), where the ship us at anchor; Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), for an overnight stay; Rǿnne (Bornholm, Denmark), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Oslo (Norway), and returns to Dover.

Prices for this cruise start from £1,519 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. Hosting theVistas ‘Antiques’ theme on this cruise are Lars Tharp and Paul Viney.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' passengers raise funds for fourth lifeboat

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is welcoming the launch of its latest guest-funded Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat, which has just been unveiled at the Kyle of Lochalsh, in the Highlands of Scotland, the company said in a statement.

"The new lifeboat has been made possible by the generosity of Fred. Olsen guests on board its four cruise ships. In 2009, guests’ donations on board amounted to an amazing £91,000, which enabled Fred. Olsen to reach its target and fund the new £180,000 Atlantic 85 class boat – the fourth to be purchased by Fred. Olsen guests," the company said.

"The name that has been chosen for the new Kyle of Lochalsh inshore lifeboat – nominated by Karen Potter, a recent guest on board Fred. Olsen’s Black Watch cruise ship – is Spirit of Fred. Olsen. Karen said of her choice: “A lot of lifeboats start with the name Spirit, and Fred. Olsen supports the RNLI.” In an online Facebook poll, this name attracted the most votes amongst Fred. Olsen guests.

Over the years, the generous donations of Fred. Olsen’s guests’ on board its ships have funded:

four inshore lifeboats – the previous lifeboat, B-774 Braemar, went on service in 2001
three mobile training units
three seminar rooms at The Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset
the development and funding of three DODO (drive-on, drive-off) lifeboat launching trolleys at Mudeford, Cullercoats and Criccieth
RNLI crew member training programme throughout 2011

In May 2010, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines was presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by Royal Patron H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent in recognition of its ongoing commitment, at the RNLI’s annual awards ceremony at the Barbican Centre, London.

Stars of BBC TV dance show Strictly Come Dancing goes to sea with P&O Cruises

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 December 2011 21 December 2011

Strictly Come Dancing, a popular dance show on BBC television in the UK will go to sea next summer on two P&O Cruises holidays, the Southampton based cruise shipping company says.

"P&O Cruises will have top names from the highly-rated BBC programme on two Oriana cruises – a 12 night Canary Islands cruise on May 28 and a 14 night Fjords cruise on July 14. Passengers can learn how to jive, foxtrot, rumba, quickstep and more from the professionals and join acerbic judge Craig Revel-Horwood for a night in the theatre," the company said in a statement.

As some of Strictly Come Dancing’s most loved professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn by the celebrities and stars this series.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow said: “We are so excited to bring the magic of the Strictly ballroom to Oriana this summer. Our passengers will be able to learn with the professional dancers, watch extraordinary show dances and hear some of the secrets of this global phenomenon.”

Richard Halliwell, Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing With The Stars’ commercial brand director, said: “The Strictly brand is very well suited to an ocean cruise given the heady mixture of elegance, romance, high-class entertainment and exhilarating destinations. We’re very excited about this new adventure with P&O Cruises and I believe Craig Revel-Horwood has already packed his bags!”

Prices for Oriana’s X206 12 night Canary Islands cruise departing May 28 start at £1,349 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Ponta Delgada, Horta, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo.

Prices for Oriana’s X212 14 night Fjords cruise departing July 14 start at £1,599 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Stavanger, Alesund, Trondheim, cruise in Trondheimsfjord, Ny Alesund, Tromso, Bergen, Eidfjord and cruise in Hardangerfjord.

Pacific Pearl to operate extended season from Auckland 2013

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 December 2011 20 December 2011

In response to the growing demand from New Zealanders for Pacific Island cruising, P&O Cruises Australia says it has extended its 2013 cruise season, adding three new cruises from Auckland on the Pacific Pearl to its schedule.

The new additions include the popular ten-night Island Fiesta cruise and 9-night Island Gems cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu and lastly a four-night Short Break cruise from Auckland to Sydney.

Both island cruises visit Vila, Lifou, and Noumea, with the Island Fiesta cruise also stopping at Mystery Island and Isle of Pines, and Island Gems will also call at Mare. The 2013 season will now run until June 24, making it the biggest and longest cruise season ever for New Zealanders, with a total of nine sailings on the Pacific Pearl.

Jenny Lourey, Senior Vice President of Carnival Australia, which represents P&O Cruises, said the Pacific Island and Short Break cruises for next season had already been immensely popular, with more New Zealanders than ever choosing cruising as their preferred holiday option. “We’re pleased to be offering New Zealanders more chances to escape the winter weather on the Pacific Pearl in 2013.”

The Pacific Pearl is the most recent addition to P&O’s fleet of superliners, launched in Auckland in December 2010. The ship was built in 1989 as Star Princess of Princess Cruises. Both companies are part of Carnival Corp & plc group. Guests onboard the 63,786 tonne, 1800 passenger ship will enjoy action-packed shore tours at each Pacific Island stop, fine dining on board at Australian Chef Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill restaurant*, entertaining shows and an array of relaxing spas, swimming pools and fitness centres.