Silversea Cruises: Deals for 2012

Posted on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

9 to 10-Night Caribbean Cruises Silversea’s luxury Caribbean cruises reveal an uncommon side of this popular destination. Palm-strewn hideaways like St. Kitts, and Grenada – uncrowded, unspoilt and seemingly untouched by time. Virgin Gorda is a yachting-crowd favorite with deserted beaches, coral reefs and little to do that isn’t utterly relaxing. These are the islands that Silversea’s Caribbean cruises sail to, the ones in the less-visited Lesser Antilles where big ships cannot go. Departures: 1/7 - 4/3/12 Enjoy 60% Savings, FREE Economy Class Airfare, Discounted Business Class Airfare, $300 Air Credit and $1,000 Shipboard Credit per suite! PLUS, an additional $500 Shipboard credit OR a Private Car and Driver!* From $3,998 per person

10 to 18-Night Mediterranean Cruises Aboard Silversea’s luxury Mediterranean cruises, you can browse the world’s best museums at your leisure during private after-hours openings, learn the secrets of traditional dishes in the kitchens of chefs who hold recipes handed down through generations, and savor amazing wines surrounded by their birthplace vineyards at tastings hosted by renowned vintners. Departures: 3/13 - 4/17/12 Enjoy 65% Savings, $1,000 Shipboard Credit per suite and MORE! PLUS, an additional $500 Shipboard Credit OR a Private Car and Driver!* From $4,499 per person

7 to 18-Night Asia Cruises Silversea’s cruises in Asia journey between ancient glories and modern-day miracles from Beijing with its Great Wall and Forbidden City to booming Shanghai … from Tokyo’s flashing neon lights to Nagasaki's beautiful bay … from high-tech Taiwan to Kyoto, cultural fountainhead of Classical Japan. Departures: 3/3 - 4/25/12 Enjoy 60% Savings, FREE Economy Class Airfare, Discounted Business Class Airfare, $1,000 Air Credit and $1,000 Shipboard Credit per suite! PLUS, an additional $500 Shipboard Credit OR a Private Car and Driver!* From $4,598 per person

7 to 16-Night South America & Africa Cruises Silversea’s South America cruises invite you to experience the colorful cultures and natural beauty of this vast continent, along with some of the world’s greatest archaeological sites: Machu Picchu, Chan Chan, and the giant stone monoliths of Easter Island. Silversea cruises to Africa in luxurious style. From the private game reserves of Zululand to the verdant vineyards of the Western Cape, discover Africa vacations that thrill, delight, surprise and intrigue. Departures: 1/7 - 3/2/12 Enjoy $1,000 Shipboard Credit per suite and MORE! PLUS, an additional $500 Shipboard credit OR a Private Car and Driver!* From $5,158 per person

14 to 17-Night Transatlantic Cruises Stretch out life’s pleasures to the fullest. Silversea’s transatlantic cruises take a leisurely approach to travel with plenty of relaxing days at sea to fill as you wish, bookended by a host of exciting destinations on both sides of your crossing. Departures: 3/31 - 5/17/12 Enjoy up to 70% Savings, FREE Economy Class Airfare, Discounted Business Class Airfare, $600 Air Credit, and $1,000 Shipboard Credit per suite! PLUS, an additional $500 Shipboard Credit OR a Private Car and Driver!* From $5,178 per person

12-Night European Cruise With its spacious beaches, elegant hotels and lively nightlife, tiny Monaco is a jet set favorite. Lisbon, a maze of dark and narrow streets that dates back for centuries, is now one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the European continent – and unlike anywhere else on earth. And if you're a wine connoisseur, Bordeaux is still the doorway to paradise. These are just a few of the extraordinary destinations you'll visit on this cruise. Departure: 5/8/2012 Enjoy 65% Savings, FREE Economy Class Airfare, Discounted Business Class Airfare, $1,000 Air Credit and $1,000 Shipboard Credit per suite! PLUS, a Private Car and Driver!* From $6,088 per person

Understanding Escorted Tour Itineraries

Posted on Monday, October 31, 2011

Thinking about taking an escorted tour?  Here is a glossary of some common terms used in our itineraries:

Visit - Your coach will stop and you'll get to visit a specific site.
View - A brief stop and an opportunity to take photos.
See - Your Insight coach will drive by the site so that you can see it.
Sightseeing tour - A local city guide will accompany you on a tour of a city or site.
Orientation tour - Places of interest are pointed out, allowing you to go and explore them on your own.
'Why not see' or 'perhaps enjoy' - These phrases refer to optional excursions not included in the tour package, but are available for an additional fee.
Time to explore and discover - Free time on your own.
A day to relax - No planned activities; time for optional excursions or other independent activities.

Our tour specialists are always available to help you understand what is included on a tour vacation, so that you can plan how much money to budget on your European vacation.

Hotel d'Inghilterra, Rome

Posted on Thursday, August 11, 2011

Featured Hotel partner: Hotel d'Inghilterra, Rome

Hotel d'Inghilterra is part of the Chateaux & Hotels Collections, and is located very close to the majestic Piazza di Spagna and via Condotti with its fashionable shops, the Spanish Steps, the famous Cafe Greco and more. The hotel is famous for its authentic Italian atmosphere and long tradition of service.

Now offering a best available rate in all seasons for new bookings, including the following special amenities:

• Daily buffet breakfast in the Café Romano
• Upgrade upon availability
• A bottle of selected Italian Prosecco upon arrival
• Book a minimum 4-night stay in a deluxe room and up and Ensemble guests will get a 3-course dinner for two with a selected bottle of wine

Some restrictions may apply, please call for details.

Crystal Cruise Last Minute Deals

Posted on Monday, April 04, 2011

Tauck Tours 2011

Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2011

When Tauck begins operating its first 2011 trips in Europe next month, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary on the continent and mark the expansion of its diverse European portfolio with nearly a dozen new itineraries.  The new trips include a pair of river cruises on the Rhone, several additions to the company’s classic Tauck World Discovery land programs, new Tauck Bridges family itineraries in Italy and the Swiss/Austrian Alps, and two new trips in the company’s Culturious collection of active, immersive, small-group experiences for boomer-age travelers.

Tauck’s expansion to a total of 49 itineraries in Europe comes on the heels of robust growth there in 2010, and amid additional, double-digit gains in 2011 pre-season bookings.  As a result, Tauck is boosting departures to Europe by 15% to help meet demand in 2011.

Tauck CEO Dan Mahar cites the economic rebound as one reason for Tauck’s strong success in Europe, but of equal importance at least says Mahar, has been the company’s continued investment in its products.  "Even when the economy stalled, we continued to add new experiences to our existing itineraries, we continued developing new trips, and we expanded our riverboat fleet by christening the ms Swiss Jewel and committing to the ms Treasures, which we’ll launch in August," said Mahar.  "That sustained investment in the quality of our products has positioned us perfectly to take full advantage of the recovery now underway."

TWENTY YEARS ALONG EUROPE’S  YELLOW ROADS

According to Mahar, that investment translates into insider access to unique, authentic and "off-the-beaten-path" experiences that guests can’t get on their own – a hallmark of Tauck’s European tours since their introduction in 1991 under the banner, "The Yellow Roads of Europe."  Named for the scenic secondary roads highlighted in yellow on Michelin’s road maps of Europe, Tauck’s first European tours eschewed high-speed freeways in favor of those scenic secondary roads and the more authentic and traditional experiences to be found along them.

Twenty years later, says Mahar, that philosophy endures and Tauck continues to seek out and provide exclusive, authentic, and unique experiences. "Our guests enjoy private, after-hours tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, they have dinner inside the Tower of London after it’s closed to the public, and they have private dinners in the homes and palaces of nobility in Vienna, Prague and the Loire Valley," said Mahar.  "That sort of access simply isn’t available to the average independent traveler."

Mahar also pointed to the deep personal connections that guests make with the local people they’re introduced to on Tauck trips, from an art restoration specialist in Florence, to an Irish family living on a small dairy farm, to a boat builder in Venice whose family has handcrafted gondolas there for five generations.  Adding to the appeal of Tauck’s European trips, Mahar said, are the exceptional value the company delivers, the quality of Tauck’s professional tour directors, and the convenience of true, all-inclusive pricing.

"TAKE OFF WITH TAUCK"

Tauck is also marking its 20th anniversary in Europe by reducing the cost and the confusion of flying to the continent.  The company recently launched a Take-Off With Tauck program that offers travelers simple, transparent, two-tiered pricing on airfare to Europe ($1,090 per person for all roundtrip economy fares and $2,990 per person for business).  The fares are all-inclusive, with no added taxes, fuel surcharges or hidden fees, and they apply to new bookings for departures from select U.S. air gateways booked by March 31, 2011 for travel to Europe from April 1 - August 31, 2011. 

Tauck’s new itineraries in Europe for 2011 include:

Tauck World Discovery land journeys

• A Week In… Venice, Florence & Rome (8 days, from $3,590 pp, dbl, plus air)
• A Week In… Bavaria, Austria & Venice (8 days, from $3,590 pp, dbl, plus air)
• A Week In… Ireland (8 days, from $3,390 pp, dbl, plus air)
• The Best of Ireland (14 days, from $5,190 pp, dbl, plus air)
• The Art of Living: Barcelona to Paris (13 days, from $5,890 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck river cruises

• French Waterways and Vineyards (10 days, from $4,490 pp, dbl, plus air)
• French Escapade: Monte-Carlo to Paris (14 days, from $5,990 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Culturious active, immersive journeys for boomer-age travelers

• Venice & the Veneto (8 days, from $3,990 pp, dbl, plus air)
• Paris & the Loire Valley (8 days, from $3,990 pp, dbl, plus air)

Tauck Bridges family itineraries

• The Sweet Life: Rome & Sorrento (7 days, from $3,214 pp, dbl, plus air)
• Alpine Adventure (8 days, from $3,941 pp, dbl, plus air)