PRINCESS CRUISE TOURS GO TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST CELEBRATED DESTINATIONS IN 2008-09

Princess will debut three new cruisetour options for the 2008-09 season to add more adventurous opportunities for passengers on South America, Asia or Australia cruises.

These land/sea vacations take passengers to explore some of the world's most fascinating destinations, including new tours to the remote Galapagos Islands, and Hangzhou, one of China's most scenic cities.
Together Princess' worldwide lineup of cruisetours offer passengers the opportunities to visit three of the new Seven Wonders of the World as well as a number of UNESCO's World Heritage sites, including such important sites as Machu Picchu, The Great Wall of China, Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue, Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Angkor Wat.
Courtesy of About.com

TWO NEW SHIPS FOR COSTA

Costa Crociere has ordered two new 114,200-ton ships to be delivered in 2011 and 2012. Costa Crociere S.p.A., the Italian subsidiary of Carnival Corporation , signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the two new vessels at an all-in cost of approximately euro 1 billion (euro 510 million per ship). The two new ships will be built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard and be sister ships to Costa Concordia, Costa Serena and Costa Pacifica, the latter of which is currently being built at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard. The new ships will each be able to accommodate 3,780 passengers in total (including all upper berths) or 3,012 guests based on double occupancy.

“By ordering two additional ships for our fleet of twelve, plus three ordered previously, we are not only reinforcing our position as the market leader in Italy and Europe, but also responding to the increasing demand for our product from our customers across the globe,” said Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere S.p.A. “We are very pleased to have Fincantieri build these two new Concordia class ships and to enjoy our continued successful relationship.”Fincantieri’s Chief Executive Officer, Giuseppe Bono, added, “We are most proud to have contributed and to continue contributing to Costa’s growth. The largest cruise operator in Europe, Costa has just celebrated its millionth passenger in the year. I am confident that this alliance will stand the test of time and enable our companies to further consolidate our positions as market leaders in our respective business areas. This new agreement means that over the course of the last year we have gained, in the cruise sector alone, orders for 12 ships, of which 2 options, for a total value of over 5 billion euros.”

The two new ships ordered will offer the same innovative elements featured on the other Concordia class ships including the 23,000 square-foot Samsara spa, which is one of the largest spas at sea, complete with exclusive cabins featuring direct access to the spa and a dedicated restaurant. The ships will also feature two swimming pools with retractable magrodomes, the central one equipped with a giant movie screen and authentic Grand Prix race car driving simulators, which provide the most accurate representation of Formula One driving available. In addition, the new ships will boast 17 additional veranda cabins and an overall total of 1,506 cabins, six more than the other Concordia class ships. The two ships will also feature additional innovations to the spa area as well as upgrades to onboard entertainment for both adults and children and teens, among many other new and unique features.
Costa’s total capacity will increase by 20% (based on double occupancy) with the addition of the two new vessels, confirming the Italian cruiseline’s position as market leader in Europe. The two new orders bring Costa’s fleet expansion programme, which began in 2000, to a total value
of euro 5.5 billion and the total number of vessels introduced between 2000 and 2012 to 13. By 2012, when the last of the new orders is completed, the Costa fleet will be 17 and have a total passenger capacity of approximately 36,700 based on double occupancy. Since 1990 Fincantieri has built 41 cruise ships. This order means that there are now 18 vessels on which construction is in progress or about to start up at the shipyards of Monfalcone, Marghera, Sestri Ponente and Ancona, thereby guaranteeing Fincantieri a market share of45%. These 59 ships have brought the company revenues of over US25 billion dollars. Costa Crociere is based in Italy and boasts 60 years of history. In 2006, Costa Crociere carried a total of 880,000 passengers, a figure which topped the historic 1 million mark in 2007. Its fleet is Europe’s largest and most advanced with 12 ships in service and five on order. By 2012, the Costa fleet will be 17 strong with a total passengers capacity of approximately 36,700. All vessels fly the Italian flag and are deployed in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, Dubai, the Far East and the Indian Ocean.

BERLITZ PLACES CUNARD AT THE TOP OF THE LIST OF MAJOR CRUISE LINES

Cunard Line has been named Number 1 among the top ten largest cruise lines in the new 2008 Berlitz Guide to Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships. The Line also received top honors for Best Overall Food and Best Overall Service in the independent guide, which was written by renowned cruise authority Douglas Ward, whose expertise spans 960 sailings and over 5,400 days at sea on virtually every cruise line in the world.

Carol Marlow, Cunard’s President and Managing Director, says:

“It is especially gratifying to receive this recognition for our flagship Queen Mary 2 and much-loved QE2 as we prepare to launch our newest ship, Queen Victoria in December of this year. It is a very exciting time for Cunard, particularly with our recent announcement to build the new 2092-passenger Queen Elizabeth, which will debut in 2010.”

Douglas Ward, the world’s top authority on cruising and cruise ships, is President of the Maritime Evaluations Group, an independent international agency that rates cruise ships worldwide. With over 40 years of experience, he spends more than 250 days a year aboard cruise ships, inspecting and evaluating their facilities.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN Q3 PROFITS RISE BY $50M

Royal Caribbean Cruises has recorded a strong summer period with net profits up by $50 million to $395 million.

Revenue for the three months ending September 30 rose to $2 billion from $1.6 billion in the same period last year.

The record results came in the face of higher fuel prices and "other challenges," said chairman and CEO Richard Fain.

"Building on a solid third quarter, we are encouraged by the strength of our late season European itineraries, and the continuing recovery in the Caribbean pricing environment," he added.

Booking levels and prices are "up nicely" in the first quarter of 2008 over levels achieved this year, the company said. Overall booking levels and prices are up for next year.

The company said it had taken action to reduce energy consumption and cost of fuel in the face of volatile fuel prices which have risen significantly in recent months.

Royal Caribbean, which runs the Celebrity Cruises brand and has a joint venture with Pullmantur in Spain, said projected capacity increases are estimated at 12.4% (2007), 6.4% (2008), 9.3% (2009), 11.4% (2010) and 6.4% (2011).

by Phil Davies

MSC JUST GETS EVEN BETTER AND MORE UNBEATABLE

Apart from having incredibly low prices and being a great choice for the novice cruiser or for a second cruise holiday of the year - MSC continues to improve it's product.

The latest development is a non stop chartered flight service from Gatwick to the heart of Italian cruising in the Port of Genoa. Until now the only direct service to Genoa has been on Ryan Air and all other flights servicing Genoa cruises have either been indirect or into Milan with a lengthy 2-3 hour transfer down to the coast.

With this new direct chartered flight featuring British Airways MSC offers a truly competitive choice for the other cruise lines - not just in terms of price but also in quality of service and product.

The service has been linked with the newest ship in the MSC fleet - the 90,000 tonne Orchestra which entered service this year. Packaged cruise prices start from just £569pp including the Direct British Airways flights , transfers and 7 night cruise.

These cruises run from 18thMmay through to 26th October next year visiting : Naples , Palermo , Tunis , Palma , Barcelona , Maresille and back to Genoa.

If you are looking for a bargain late break then look out for the 11 night cruises on the Orchestra to the Canaries this Winter from just £459 pp including flights, transfers and cruise. Yes - that is 11 nights from just £459pp!!! This is a budget cruise line price for a premium cruise holiday. Just compare this to the entry level cruise lines for the same price where you would get much smaller and older ships and just 7 nights holiday. £459pp is currently available on the Orchestra on 8th January or there is an East Mediterranean option available on the Musica for the same price on 9th Jan.

In addition to this MSC will be launching their brand new ship the Poesia on 6th April next year. This is the sister ship to the Orchestra and the inaugural cruise will be a 13 night spectacular voyage from Dover to Venice from just £899pp including return flights to Gatwick.

The ship then stays in Venice for the summer operating 7 night Greek islands cruises from just £599pp starting on 26th April in time for May Bank holiday weekend.

All in all - a great product at low prices.

CRYSTAL TO RUN TASTER CRUISES

Luxury line Crystal Cruises is to run a 'taster' cruise from Southampton next year.

The sailing is he first of two being offered by the company in May.

The six-night itinerary on board Crystal Serenity departs Southampton for Lisbon on May 7 with calls in Bordeaux (overnight) and Bilbao.

The second is from Lisbon to Rome on May 13 calling at Gibraltar, Barcelona and Nice en route to the port of Rome.

by Phil Davies

Courtesy of Travelmole.com

NEW SEABOURN SHIP TO SAIL FROM VENICE

The first new Seabourn ship in six years is to operate its first series of sailings from Venice.

The $250 million vessel is to enter service for the ultra luxury line in summer 2009.

The 225-suite ship will run itineraries from Venice starting on June 24, 2009, with bookings opening on November 5.

The 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey will also operate the company's first world cruise in January 2010, with a duration of 108 days. Ports of call will include Bali, Bora Bora, Sydney and Saigon.

The new ship will expand the Seabourn fleet to four vessels.

The line's president and CEO Pam Conover said: "The ultra luxury segment of the cruising business has been operating at nearly full capacity and Seabourn Oydssey will be the first ultra luxury vessel to be launched in six years.

"There is pent-up demand for a new, intimate ship to continue Seabourn's legacy of exceptional service, unexpected delights and exotic destinations, which are synonymous with the brand."

by Phil Davies

Courtesy of Travelmole.com

LATE DEALS OF THE THE CENTURY

Who would ever have thought you could go on a Caribbean cruise for less than £200 pp or a Mediterranean cruise including flights for less than £500pp. Well you can and even better they are on board the 5* Celebrity Century.

Check out 12th Nov 2007 11 Night Mediterranean cruise from only £499pp including tax and return direct flights from London. Cruise from Barcelona to Provence - Nice - Livorno (Florence / Pisa) - Rome - Ajaccio - Tangiers - Casablanca - Valencia and back to Barcelona. The great thing about this cruise is that the ports of call and the cruise itself are not dependant on the weather. The cities are destinations in their own right with lots of things to see and do without the necessity for warm sunshine.

The 10 night option costs just £459pp including flights and departs on 2nd Nov 2007.

Alternatively beat the post Christmas blues and escape for some Winter Caribbean sunshine on 7th Jan 2008 with a 5 night cruise sailing from Miami to Key West and Grand Cayman from only £179pp including tax. Make it a complete holiday with return flights from London, 2 nights living the highlife amid the Art deco splendour of Miami South Beach and the 5 night cruise from only £599pp for the complete package.

Celebrity is the 5 star sister company to the popular Royal Caribbean brand. The Century was the first in the trio of Century class ships which also includes the Galaxy and the Mercury. She entered service in December 1995 and underwent extensive refurbishment in May 2006. The refurbishment included the addition of Balconies to the Concierge class and 2A grade staterooms on the Penthouse, Vista and Panorama decks. A new Aqua Spa was installed with an aromatic Persian Garden, together with a new Spa cafe, Martini Bar and speciality restaurant.

The smallest staterooms (at 170 square feet) on board the Century are larger than the smallest staterooms on the mega ships of the Royal Caribbean fleet. This 71,000 tonne ship carries just 1800 passengers giving you lots of space and personalised service.

The Century boasts 9 bars, 7 restaurants, casino, Theatre, Cinema, 2 swimming pools, extensive spa & fitness centre, 4 hot tubs, shops, cova cafe and internet cafe.

MEXICO BECOMES WORLD’S NO. 1 CRUISE MARKET

What's the world's No 1 cruise destination? The Mexican Caribbean, says the Secretary of Tourism.

A document from the agency shows that almost one third of the world's cruise tourists visit the Mexican Caribbean, while almost 45% visit the rest of the Mexican coast.

Mexico last received a total of 6.5 million passengers. Cozumel, in the state of Quintana Roo, was named the most active port. The island had almost 2.4 million passengers.

"The cruise tourism in Mexico has experienced a rapid growth in the last 10 years," says the report.

The number of tourists that visited the country in a cruise tripled from 1996 to 2006.

The Mexican Riviera cruise experience is popular for Southern California tourists using ports at Baja Mexico and the Pacific Coast. There are often three-to-eight day cruises.

"In addition to the already established destinations – such as the ones from Riviera Maya, the ports of Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, and the traditional ports of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Acapulco – Mexico keeps attracting cruise companies to new places in the country," says the government.

Starting in 2008, Puerto Dos Barcos in the state of Tabasco will begin receiving cruises from cruise lines Holland America and The World. Meanwhile, Puerto Chiapas was included this year as one of the ports of call for some of the larger cruise ships.

SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS TRANSFERRED TO PULLMANTUR

Royal Caribbean International’s Sovereign of the Seas will be reassigned to the
company’s Pullmantur fleet as Sovereign, and the Los Angeles- based Monarch of the Seas will assume Sovereign of the Seas sailings out of Port Canaveral. These changes will take place in October and November 2008.

Sovereign of the Seas last scheduled sailing for Royal Caribbean
International will be on October 31, 2008. Two subsequent cruises, scheduled for November 3 and 7, will be cancelled, and those booked on those cruises will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking an earlier Sovereign of the Seas sailing during 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by December 31, 2007. All currently booked on Sovereign of the Seas on or after November 10, 2008, will be re-accommodated onboard Monarch of the Seas.

Monarch of the Seas will make her last regularly scheduled sailing out of Los Angeles on October 13, 2008. All currently booked on a subsequent sailing will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking a three, four or five-night Caribbean sailing, or a seven-night Mexican Riviera sailing, onboard Royal Caribbean International in 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by December 31, 2007.

On October 17, 2008, Monarch of the Seas will reposition to the East Coast when she departs Los Angeles on a 16-night Panama Canal cruise to Miami. The ship will then undergo a scheduled, weeklong dry-dock before welcoming her first Port Canaveral passengers for three and four-night Bahamas sailings starting November 10, 2008.

THREE CUNARD QUEENS TOGETHER

Be part of an historic event in Cunard's history when the QE2 sets sail from Southampton for her last ever world cruise on 6th January 2008. At the same time the brand new Queen Victoria will be joining her to travel across the Atlantic to New York together.

In addition to this - for the first time ever - the 3 Cunard Queens will meet up together in New York for an incredible photo opportunity when the Queen Mary 2 joins the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria.

Cunard have just released some unbelievable low rates to enable you to witness and be part of this historic event without having to spare the money and time for a full 3 month world cruise. You can either join the QE2 for a 10 night cruise from Southampton via New York to Fort Lauderdale from only £799 pp including a direct flight back to London. Or take the opportunity to explore South America on the QE2 (one of the best ocean going liners afloat) for a 31 night cruise from Southampton via New York and around Cape Horn to Chile. This cruise packaged with a 2 night stay in Chile and flights back to London is available from just £2399pp saving over £1200pp on the current High Street price.

The last ever full 106 night world cruise on the QE2 sails via New York , Cape Horn , South America , New Zealand , Australia , Singapore , Hong Kong , China , Japan , Hawaii , Los Angeles, Mexico, Panama Canal & Caribbean . The High Street price starts from £24,259, if you have sailed with Cunard before and are registered with Cunard you should be entitled to receive a further discounted price of £23,046. Our Cunard cruise specialists at Jetline Cruises who should also be able to offer you a further discount of up to £2300pp.

Call to find out more on the individual sections of the world cruise and the prices that are available.

Apart from the incredible White Star service, the prestige of travelling with Cunard and the romance of an epic voyage across the Atlantic -Cunard operate the only true Ocean Liners in the world. All other ships are considered as cruise ships and not ocean liners.

Cruise ships tend to have a flatter bottom and shallower draught keel which is ideal for cruising sheltered waters visiting ports that are shallow in depth. Whereas the Cunard ocean liners have much deeper and sharper keels to help slice through the oceans and give the ship more stability in exposed areas.

We feel this is an opportunity not to be missed on many levels - particularly since the price is so low and can be taken as a cruise for many reasons.

NCL'S NEW "IT" GIRL MAKES HER GLAMOROUS DEBUT

She's hot, she's hip, she's the ultimate trip – Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) new "It" Girl of Freestyle Cruising® is here.

On Friday, 5 October NCL's latest ship, Norwegian Gem, made her debut in Dover and just like any "It" Girl, she wowed everyone who saw her. The inaugural event on Friday evening attracted celebrities like Ruby Wax, a bevy of paparazzi and travel professionals from around the UK to a Gem of a Night on-board celebration, culminating in a Fireworks Fantasia on Dover's Promenade.

The Jewel-class ship offers 15 decks of fun, including opulent suites and Villas, a four-lane ten-pin bowling alley, rock climbing wall, high-energy Broadway-style shows and the sheer indulgence of the South Pacific Spa and Beauty Salon. This "It" Girl has it all and with around one crew member for every stateroom, service is everything an A-lister would expect. She even has her own "HerSpace" page at www.gemitgirl.co.uk where you can win great prizes such as £50 of Harvey Nichols vouchers or a Nintendo Wii™ every week until the end of December 2007. And if you would like to get aboard this fantastic Gem of a ship then you could also win a 7-night Mediterranean cruise to experience for yourself all that she has to offer.

Norwegian Gem is fantastic but don't just take our word for it, check out her video right here and see for yourself.

Like any "It" girl, Norwegian Gem will be good at selling herself but to help her along we have created a selection of photographs for you to use on your website.

After spending the winter in the Caribbean, Norwegian Gem will reposition in Europe in April 2008 where she will pick up her series of 28 seven day Western Mediterranean itineraries roundtrip from Barcelona.

If you were at the festivities of the inaugural in Dover then thanks for coming and we hope you had a great time; if not then please enjoy her webpage, video and photographs and you never know you could be the lucky winner of that cruise aboard Norwegian Gem.

If you would like help marketing any of NCL's itineraries both for print and web then please visit our trade partners website at www.ncl.co.uk/agents/index.htm, password: freestyle, username: cruising.

Special Jetline Cruise offer: 13 Night fly cruise package to the Caribbean from New York on the Norwegian Gem from only £799pp. Book now for 14th January 2008 or 4th February 2008.

WHY CRUISE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO GROW: VAST CHOICES

Cruise travel continues to grow for several reasons, including the fact that many cruisers can drive to their ship, says Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).

Two other reasons: the growing availability of spas and the ability to explore exotic Caribbean destinations.

"One of the important things is no matter what you think you want to do on a vacation, or no matter what you have done and like, you can probably replicate that experience on a cruise," said Bob Sharak, executive vice president of marketing for CLIA.

Twelve ships are taking maiden voyages this year — with several embarking from Southeast ports — and eight new vessels are scheduled to debut next year, according to CLIA.

In the next five years, 40 ships will be introduced, increasing the number of beds from 265,000 to 335,000.

Some of the newest ships offer activities ranging from ice skating to surfing.

Costa and Carnival Cruise Lines as well as Celebrity's new Azamara Cruises brand, have suites next to spas, with perks such as in-room services and restaurants.

CUNARD ORDERS NEW SHIP TO BE NAMED QUEEN ELIZABETH

Cunard Line has ordered a new 92,000-ton liner to be named Queen Elizabeth.

It is scheduled to enter service in autumn 2010, two years after the QE2 will leave the fleet to become a floating luxury hotel in Dubai.

"We are delighted that Her Majesty The Queen has given her blessing to our calling this new Cunarder 'Queen Elizabeth', after our first vessel of that name," said president and managing director Carol Marlow.

"The decision to order another ship for Cunard Line has been taken as a result of the strong booking response to the new Queen Victoria, and we are extremely pleased that Cunard will once again become a three-ship fleet so soon after the departure of the much-celebrated QE2 in November next year."

Cunard has signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the new 2092–passenger ocean liner at an all-in cost of approximately €500 million.

The vessel will be the second largest Cunarder ever built.

Queen Elizabeth will fly the Red Ensign with her home-port Southampton, like the other ships in the Cunard fleet.

The agreement is subject to approval by the board of directors of Carnival Corporation.

Design details and initial itineraries will be announced in due course.

Courtesy of Travelmole.com

RIDICULOUS PRICES ON CELEBRITY MERCURY

We feel this is worthy of a mention as Jetline Cruises have come up with some incredible low prices on a selection of Celebrity Mercury cruise next Spring…

The Celebrity Mercury is a five star ship which has been a firm favourite in the UK market for the last 10 years. At just under 78,000 tonnes the Mercury was last of the trio of Century class ships launched in November 1997 taking advantage of enhancements to the original two ships in the class Century and Galaxy. Even though this is a large mid range ship it only carries 1870 passengers, its smallest cabins at 1`70 square feet are larger than all of those in the Royal Caribbean fleet – the sister company to Celebrity.

This ship has 4 swimming pools (with a sliding glass roof above one of them), 10 bars, theatre, casino, nightclub, Aqua Spa, library, cinema, internet café, kids clubs, separate kids pool and 5 restaurants, amongst its impressive list of facilities.

The first of the offers is an unusual 7 nights cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver and back from only £399pp including port taxes. This truly takes advantage of what a cruise is all about – the chance to take several holidays in one. Visit San Francisco, Vancouver, Seattle, Astoria (Oregon) and Victoria. At such a low price it makes an ideal 2^nd holiday of the year.

The current price on line is now £696. Jetline Cruises held an allocation of cabins at the promotional price of £368pp and these are still available until the end of the month. We are offering this cruise only as part of 10 night fly cruise package including flights and 2 night’s accommodation in San Francisco from only £799pp.

The next offer is the repositioning cruise from San Francisco to its Summer port of Vancouver combining the above cruise with an extended Alaskan cruise itinerary. This is a 14 night Alaska cruise available from only £298pp plus tax of £266pp. This cruise departs San Francisco and visits Monterrey (California), Astoria (Oregon) , Victoria, Inside passage, Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Icy strait Point, Sitka, Inside Passage and Vancouver. Jetline cruises are offering this cruise as part of a 16 night fly cruise package including direct return flights on BA, overnight hotel in San Francisco and all tax from only £1099pp. Ordinarily a standard 9 night Alaskan package starts from £1200pp – so this represents a bargain. Plus there is also $50 bonus on board credit to help with your drinks bill on board.

RCI SWAPS SHIPS WITH PULLMANTUR

Royal Caribbean is exchanging the Empress of the seas with its Spanish cruise arm Pullmantur who will be moving its Blue Moon ship over to become the Azamara Journey.

The Empress of the seas is the smallest of the RCI fleet at just under 50,000 tonnes. This is a modern looking ship – more yacht like in appearance – and able to visit more diverse ports of call than its larger cousins in the Royal Caribbean fleet. It was originally launched in 1990 as the Nordic Empress and refurbished in 2005 when it was renamed the Empress of the Seas.

Check out the last ever cruises The Empress of the Seas is doing under the RCI banner on the Jetline Cruise website. We are offering 13 night fly cruise packages to the Southern Caribbean from only £799pp – which is available from November this year until March 2008 when it changes hands.

This is an incredible offer as the itinerary is packed with big name Caribbean Islands and has far fewer days at sea unlike the other offers out there at the moment... There are only 2 days at sea during this 11 night cruise itinerary. The £799pp price includes a direct flight to New York with an overnight hotel stay and the option to add extra nights on in New York. Then onward direct flights to san Juan to embark the ship which visits St Maarten , Antigua , St Lucia , Barbados , Aruba , Curacao , Margarita before return back to Puerto Rico and the flight home.

Pullmantur Cruises are a successful brand in Spain and have recently made inroads into the UK cruise market by appointing Jetline Cruises to be is general sales agent . Pullmantur is prefect for the UK cruise market and first time cruises as it can offer smaller friendly ships at unbelievable prices. The Spanish (like the Brits) love a tipple or two and so Pullmantur specialise in All Inclusive drinks cruises. Jetline Cruises have been successfully promoting these throughout the Summer with £399pp for a 7 night fly cruise all inclusive drinks package to the Mediterranean on the Oceanic and £699pp for a 9 night fly cruise all inclusive drinks package to the Caribbean on the Holiday dream.

Their ships have both Spanish and English language on board and include some old favourites such as: The Big Red Boat now the Oceanic, The Celebrity Zenith, The P&O, Australia Pacific Sky now the Sky Wonder and the iconic Love Boat now the Pacific.

RECORD RIVER CRUISE SALES

Travelscope cruises are pleased to announce that their river cruises are 500% up compare to this time last year!

CAPACITY FILLING FAST FOR 2008, DON'T MISS OUT!!

Call the cruise experts Jetline Cruise

Did you know:

• Market Leaders - Travelscope have the biggest fleet of River Cruise vessels in the market place and the largest range of itineraries.

• Complimentary Coaching from a network of over 500 coach pick up points across the UK.

• Our Best Selling River Cruise holidays so far for 2008 are 'Rhine Cruise to Switzerland', 'Holland Cruise and the Best of the Bulbfields' and 'Amsterdam to Switzerland Cruise'.

• Regional Flight Departures are proving increasingly popular with a high percentage of passengers now taking this convenient option, look for your local airport options in the back of the brochure.

· Brand new 4* itineraries available in Spain, Portugal and Venice.

PRICES FROM ONLY £399

FOR THE LATEST SPECIAL OFFERS CONTACT JETLINE CRUISE

STAR CRUISES SELLS SUPERSTAR GEMINI

KUALA LUMPUR - Star Cruises announced Saturday the sale of the SuperStar Gemini, which is to be concluded in the following weeks.

The cruise ship will be chartered back from the new owner until December 2008 to continue offering her cruise itineraries before being handed over to the new owner.

SuperStar Gemini is presently owned by Star Cruises along with the Asian fleet of other mid-sized ships such as the SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Aquarius, SuperStar Libra, Star Pisces, Megastar Taurus, Megastar Aries and Wasa Queen, of which she has been part since 1995.

Star Cruises' President David Chua said the sale was part of the company's fleet optimisation plan in line with the realisation of new growth opportunities in the region.

"Such a need to sell or replace selected ships in the fleet will occur as and when opportunities from potential buyers arise to enable us to acquire bigger, better vessels as well as to renew and further enhance our products and services to better cater to our guests' needs." he added. "An example is the arrival of the SuperStar Aquarius recently in June this year to Hong Kong, with greater capacity and features to cater to the needs and tastes of our guests."

Apart from the future growth potential with renewed and bigger capacities and features of ships, Star Cruises will now be able to focus on further improvements to its current ships such as the SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Aquarius, SuperStar Libra, with continuous innovation and improvement of personalised services, ongoing new activities and world-class themes and performances.

SuperStar Gemini currently offers 7, 10, 11 and 21-night cruises from Singapore to destinations in South East Asia before moving to Australia, where her ardent fans are, in November for three months.

In Australia, she will do two full circumnavigations of the continent, creating many memorable itineraries taking in ports of call such as Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin and others. The decision to deploy the ship for three months Downunder during some of the very best cruising conditions, the Australian Summer, is largely due and in response to the huge popularity of SuperStar Gemini with the Australian market.

On returning to Singapore, she will continue with the ever popular 7-night Straits of Malacca cruises as well as another six 10, 11 and 21-night cruises taking in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

At 19,093 gross tonnes, SuperStar Gemini is a world-class cruise ship with international and Asian dining, world-class entertainment and recreational facilities. Facilities include a swimming pool, restaurants and bars, hair salon, spa, well-appointed karaoke rooms and much more to cater to all types of passengers, young and old, singles, couples and families.

Courtesy of Travelmole.com

SOUTH AMERICA CIRCUM NAVIGATION

For the first time ever the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the seas leaves her home port of port Canaveral to complete a series of 3 cruise itineraries circum navigating South America via Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Chile and Peru to Los Angeles.

This exciting South American circum navigation lasts for 48 nights and takes places on 3rd Jan 2009. This early booking offer gives passengers the opportunity to plan well in advance and take advantage of low prices before demand pushes the price up. This Voyager Class ship sailing for the first time around South America is sure to generate interest and sell fast.

The fist leg of the cruise is for 17 nights on the 3rd Jan 2009 from Port Canaveral to Rio de Janeiro from only £1599pp. The second leg takes you from Brazil to Argentina, Uruguay, through the Straits of Magellan onto Chile. This departs on the 18th jan 2009 for 17 nights from only £1899pp. The final leg departs on 2nd Feb for 18 nights from Chile past Peru , Lima , Costa Rica and Mexico into Los Angeles from only £1649pp.

Perhaps combine all 3 legs for a definitive 48 night circum-navigation of South America from only £3099pp or try the last 2 legs for a 33 night adventure from only £2599pp.

The Mariner of the Seas is the fifth and final ship to be built in the revolutionary and much celebrated Voyager class of ship. Being the last of the class to be built this ship has taken advantage of and incorporates all of the enhancements to the first four ships in the class. With more facilities than your local town - this is the first opportunity to visit the far flung corners of the world in true style, comfort and familiar surroundings. There are 14 bars, 9 restaurants, nightclub, theatre, casino, shopping mall, 3 swimming pools, 7 jacuzzis, fitness centre, spa, sports court, rock climbing wall, 18 hole mini golf, roller skating, ice skating, cinema, 4 kids clubs, internet cafe, video arcade and much more.

All in all an exciting unusual itinerary on one of the best ships afloat at a great price.