Celebrity Cruises present Mediterranean food experience

Celebrity Cruises is well known for indulging its guests to the full and it comes as no surprise that they are joining forces with the magazine famed for celebrating the world of great food and sharing it with other, Bon Appétit. Celebrity Cruises and Bon Appétit will be presenting ‘Celebrity’s Mediterranean Experience with Bon Appétit’, an at-sea feature focusing on the pleasures of cooking and dining.

The 2,038 guest Celebrity Summit will be hosting the event, departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico on the 18 April, sailing to Barcelona, Spain. Celebrity Summit will be calling in at several tantalising ports of call along the way that exemplify Mediterranean flavours, including Tenerife, Canary Islands; Agadir, Morocco; Malaga, Spain; and Valencia, Spain.

Throughout the sailing there will be numerous culinary demonstrations performed by Joey Campanaro, chef/owner of New York restaurants ‘The Little Owl’ and ‘Market Table’. Joey is well known for his creative culinary style, combining only the freshest ingredients with bold, rich flavours that the Mediterranean is famous for.

Activities onboard will reflect the focus on the region’s epicurean and cultural highlights. The ship’s casual restaurant will offer numerous Mediterranean-themed buffets throughout the voyage. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in Mediterranean-themed food/wine trivia competitions, a Mediterranean cooking class hosted by the cruise director and the ship’s executive chef, Spanish-language classes, regional dance classes, and a recipe contest.

Ocean Village Announces New Summer 2009 Itineraries

Ocean Village, ‘the cruise for people who don’t do cruises’, has announced its summer 2009 itineraries. Venice, Cairo and Istanbul will be new locations on Ocean’s Mediterranean programme for the very first time. Ocean Village 2 will be making its debut between April and October 2009 to these new destinations from Heraklion, Crete.

Bookings will be opening on 21 April 2008 but the preview details for 2009 show exciting seven and fourteen night cruises in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean on board Ocean Village and Ocean Village Two. New ‘Stay and Cruise’ options are also available, with pre-cruise hotel stays in Palma and Crete.

Ocean Village Two will be embarking on its first Eastern Med season, with three new 7 night itineraries on offer from its summer base in Heraklion, Crete. Headline destinations will be Venice, Istanbul and Cairo, offering the chance to see not only the major must -see cities but also the scenic islands and popular beach locations.

Whilst the weather is more temperate at the start of the season between April and September, Ocean Village Two will follow the Cairo itinerary, with Venice becoming a fortnightly fixture and Istanbul being the option in peak summer between May to August. Cruises can be taken as 7 night or 14 night sailings or as a 14 night stay and cruise option with a week in Crete at a three or four star hotel before joining any of the three 7 night cruises.

Nick Lighton, Managing Director at Ocean Village comments: “These new calls at Venice, Cairo and Istanbul will create a real buzz of excitement with agents and passengers alike. They show how easy it can be to combine an easy-going, high-quality cruise with a shot of culture, time out on the beach, big-city sights, retail therapy and the chance to get active – all at a great value-for-money price. The Ocean Village philosophy has always been to offer a fresh take on cruising and these new holidays are a wake-up call for everyone who hasn’t yet realised the how much fun a cruise can be, as well as a great reason to come back for more for people who’ve already lost their cruising virginity.”

Ocean Village cruisers to see more of the Med

In 2009 Ocean Village will be adding even more Mediterranean cruise holidays to their itineraries, offering cruisers the chance to see even more of the Med.

The new itineraries for 2009 will include sailings to Cairo, Istanbul and Venice onboard the original Ocean Village and also Ocean Village Two, which will sail to the eastern Mediterranean for the first time. The two ships will cruise to an array of ports including Palma, Majorca and Venice, Italy offering a range of seven and 14 night fly-cruise holidays.

Ocean Village managing director Nick Lighton said: “These new calls at Venice, Cairo and Istanbul will create a real buzz of excitement with agents and passengers alike."

In addition cruisers will have the chance to enjoy excursions on a “Palaces and Pyramids” trip to Egypt where they can see the Pyramids and Sphinx in Cairo.

Ocean Village also have other sailing that include a “Tapas and Togas” voyage between Palma and Barcelona, with port stops at Tunis, Rome, Genoa and St Raphael.

ISLAND CRUISES SUPERB MED OFFER

Island Cruises Mediterranean Spring Bargains From only £499pp

* Save up to £100pp off the current special Offer price.

* Fly Direct from Manchester to Palma Majorca.

* 7 nights cruise from only £499pp including flights , transfers and 7 nights full board cruise

* 14Night Special Cruise departure from only £899pp

* Upgrade by 7 cabin grades for only £50pp per week

Island Cruises offer the ideal cruise experience for the Great British holidaymaker. They are the pioneers of informal relaxed cruising . They were the first to develop a unique cruise experiences for regular holiday makers with out the need to dress up and have regimented set dining times and tables to sit at. All meals are buffet style allowing you the freedom to do as you please in your own time.

On board you can enjoy all of the usual facilities you would expect to find and a 4 star beach resort . You will be able to meet lots of like minded people on board as these cruises are only sold to the Brits. This also means lots of familiar favourites are on offer at the buffet and once a week the waiters are decked out in Union jack uniforms to serve traditional favourites such as Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding!

Be sure to join in with the Jongleurs comedy club on board and take time to relax at the Costa Coffee bar. If you fancy a late night snack after you leave the nightclub the buffet is open 24 hours!

Choose between the Island Escape and the Island Star on one of the following itineraries:

Itinerary 1 Med Essence: Palma (Majorca), Ajaccio (Corsica), Civitavecchia for Rome, Santa Margherita for Portofino, Villefranche for Nice, Mahon (Menorca), Palma.

Itinerary 2 Med Discovery: Palma (Majorca), Olbia (Sardinia), Civitavecchia for Rome, La Spezia, Villefranche for Nice, Mahon (Menorca), Palma.

Itinerary 3 Med Explorer: Palma (Majorca), Livorno for Florence/Pisa, Genoa for Milan, Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, Palma.

Itinerary 4 Venetian Adventure: Palma (Majorca), Villefranche for Nice, Civitavecchia for Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight), Split (Croatia), Messina (Sicily), Palma.

Departs	Nights	Itinerary	Ship	Current Special Offer Price		Reader Offer Price Inside cabin
21-Mar-08	7	1	Island Star	£579		£499
25-Mar-08	7	2	Island Escape	£609		£559
28-Mar-08	7	3	Island Star	£579		£529
01-Apr-08	7	3	Island Escape	£609		£559
04-Apr-08	7	1	Island Star	£619		£569
19-Apr-08	14	4	Island Star	£989		£889

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.

INCREASED DEMAND FOR CRUISING, OCEAN STYLE

A trend in cruising: leisurely Ocean crossings between continents with few if any ports of call.

These trips, known as repositioning cruises, are a look back to a bygone era when plenty of onboard time added to the mystique and romance of a high-seas adventure.

No fewer than 15 major players, each a member of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), will soon move their fleets from summer seasons in Europe, Alaska and Canada to winter itineraries in the Caribbean, Mexico and elsewhere.

A total of 50 ships, ranging in size from intimately small to mega-liners, will be offering fall transatlantic or Pacific Ocean voyages this year, says Cruise travel columnist Michael Coleman.

"One of the world's most popular cruise lines, Princess, might be the busiest," he adds.

The luxury lines, are also repositioning their fleets.

Report by David Wilkening

‘SS OCEANIC' REVIEW

Originally intended for Transatlantic service, the delightful 39,000 ton ‘SS Oceanic’ entered service in 1965, but with the dramatic downturn in demand for such liner voyages in the mid 60’s, she effectively went straight into the embryonic cruise industry as a new build.

I have experienced the considerable pleasure of cruising on ‘SS Oceanic’ in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Indeed at his table on Gala Dinner evening in 2005, Captain Roman Krstanovic declared : “This ship is a masterpiece – she has the most beautiful and perfect hull, and after forty years is still a perfect cruise ship!” His admiration and affection for the last remaining of the great Italian liners of the 60’s is eminently understandable. She is every inch a classic, and the ship has proven to be a great success for her current owners, the Spanish company Pullmantur, now part of the ‘RCCL’ empire.

Sailing on her regular Western Mediterranean weekly schedule, departing Barcelona every Monday, she has acquired a formidable reputation for excellence throughout the Spanish cruise market, and is often booked to capacity. Her loyal followers embrace all age groups, and there is usually a sizeable group of British ‘expats’ on board.

Language is simply not a problem. All the officers and most of the crew speak English, and the daily cruise news and all menus are produced in both English and Spanish.

Being powered by steam turbines, Oceanic does not suffer from any of the unpleasant vibration sometimes associated with diesel propulsion. This is particularly beneficial in the cabins overnight, when you sometimes wonder if the ship is actually moving at all! Being built originally for the North Atlantic, she is fully stabilized, and has very good ‘sea-legs’!

Food is generally excellent, and certainly lives up to the ship’s four star rating. Drinks are on an ‘inclusive’ basis, and this means very acceptable wines – a good Rioja for example - with lunch and dinner, along with branded whisky, gin, vodka, brandy and liqueurs on demand from the ship’s bars. There is a nominal charge for certain premium brands.

The ship is very well appointed and maintained throughout, and certainly does not show her age! She was also the very first ocean liner/cruise ship to be built with a large retractable ‘magrodome’ roof over her upper deck, enclosing when necessary the Riviera Pools, and providing a very flexible space which is used to the full for everything from sunbathing, through buffet dining, to the Captain’s Gala Cocktail party.

I recommend Oceanic without hesitation – she is a graceful and elegant vessel externally, but with a friendly and wholly unpretentious atmosphere within. Her passengers clearly know how to enjoy themselves – sometimes noisily – and Pullmantur certainly knows how to manage a successful cruise operation. Oceanic is a truly wonderful experience – enjoy her while she is still around!

Colin R. Miell, July 2007.

Jetline Cruise are offering Amazing ALL INCLUSIVE 7 Night MED cruises on the Oceanic from only £399pp.