Beginning June 30, 2013, American Queen travelers will have the opportunity to learn more about the National Trust’s National Treasure sites, located along the Mississippi River as well as the Pacific Northwest, where the American Empress will launch in April 2014. Special attention to preservation concepts and techniques, as well as the work of architects, historians and other professionals in the field of historic preservation will be highlighted onboard and onshore.

“We are proud to partner with the American Queen Steamboat Company and help bring America’s National Treasures to life,” shares Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust. “These places along our great waterways present the diversity of our nation’s built history and remind all of us of the importance of preserving the irreplaceable places that tell America’s stories.”

Through the partnership with the National Trust, American Queen Steamboat Company will become a contributing sponsor for four of the National Trust’s National Treasures: Mississippi Delta Heritage Area, Manhattan Project Historic Sites in Washington State, Willamette Falls Navigation Canal and Locks in Oregon and a future site to be named at a later date.

“Thousands of guests onboard the American Queen have rediscovered the treasures the U.S. heartland has to offer over the past year,” shares Ted Sykes, president and COO of the American Queen Steamboat Company. “We are honored to play a role in the preservation of these sites with the National Trust and add new treasures for our guest experience as the American Empress sets sail in April 2014 on the majestic Columbia and Snake Rivers.”

The National Trust’s National Treasures are irreplaceable, critically threatened places across the country where the National Trust for Historic Preservation is making a deep organizational investment. Guided by more than 60 years of experience, the organization is taking direct action to protect these places and promote their history and significance, engaging local preservationists to help advance the cause of preservation nationally.

Those interested in furthering the work of the National Trust for Historic Preservation while experiencing America’s heartland by luxurious and opulent river cruise can order an American Queen Steamboat Company brochure, request additional information and make reservations by contacting the American Queen Steamboat Company at 888-749-5280, visit online at www.AQSC.com or contact a professional travel agent.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places. www.PreservationNation.org

American Queen Steamboat Company

The American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC) is the owner and operator of the U.S. flagged American Queen, the largest, most opulent riverboat in the world. Longer than a football field, towering six decks in height and laced with fanciful gingerbread trim, she is a marvel of modern engineering. Her journeys through the heartland offer a unique perspective on America’s history, culture and landscape with convenient departures from some of America’s most iconic river port cities including Memphis, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and St. Paul. In April 2014, the AQSC will begin serving the Pacific Northwest with the opulence and grandeur of the American Empress. For additional information and reservations, contact the American Queen Steamboat Company at 888-749-5280, visit us online at www.AQSC.com or call a professional travel agent.

Weekend Getaways!
For guests who are short on time, but big on adventure, the Timberwind offers long weekend cruises all season long. Guests board in Rockport on Thursday evening, set sail on Friday morning and return by noon on Sunday in time to ease back into the work week. These three-night getaways include two full days of sailing, excellent meals including a lobster feast, great sailing, scenery and wildlife…all capped with a final brunch enjoyed undersail on the way back to port. Prices start at $525 per person, all inclusive.

Shorter cruises for the younger set!
If you’ve got little ones, the Nathaniel Bowditch is offering two back-to-back Kids and Family cruises that are geared toward families with kids ages 5 and up (contact their office to discuss younger children). These 3-day adventures (July 14-17 and July 17-20) give kids the opportunity to try out sailing in a completely safe environment with Maine’s Tall ships – gorgeous schooners that are right out of the golden age of sail. So whether your favorite pirate is Long John Silver or Captain Jack Sparrow, these shorter adventures offer a great introduction to uninhabited islands, beachside lobster bakes and days of magnificent sailing.

Parades!
The Bowditch also welcomes guests to the Boothbay Windjammer Days Festival during their June 23-29 Lobster Lovers Cruise. This year marks the 51st annual festival with sailboat races, antique boat parade, concerts and fireworks. This is a unique opportunity to see many of these gorgeous schooners under sail and passengers on the Bowditch will have a front row seat! And if you love lobster, this cruise is for you! Chef Paul will prepare a lobster dish every day on this 6-night cruise!

Races!
If racing is your passion, join the Schooner Timberwind for the annual Great Schooner Race from June 30-July 6. Race Day begins with the boom of a ship’s cannon and then it’s sails up as crew and passengers do everything they can to be the first in their class to cross the finish line at the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. This friendly rivalry has been going on for decades – be ready to cheer your team! The day ends with a festive awards ceremony with live music.

Food Glorious Food!
Finally, in September, the Nathaniel Bowditch is capping her season with a celebration of the fall harvest. Guests will enjoy scrumptious meals prepared by Chef Paul on a traditional woodstove in the galley – all focused on the rich and bountiful harvest. This is the time when squashes are just becoming available, apples are abundant, hearty greens are sweet and the last of the corn adds color to the table. Maine’s landscape is changing over to the reds and golds of autumn while guests enjoy the gorgeous sailing that comes with the steady fall breezes. A perfect time to go sailing!

Fall is a great time to visit Maine and this season, the Bowditch celebrates with a fall harvest cruise.

For more information about all of the vessels in the Maine Windjammer Association fleet, please visit our website or call 800-807-WIND. www.mainewindjammers.com . Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature about Maine Windjammer Grace Bailey.

On board of our very comfortable gullet we set sail to discover the Amalfi Coast, one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy which has enchanted travellers from all over the world.

Art and tradition characterise the various towns perched along the rocky coastline, surrounded by terraced hillsides steeped in vineyards, citrus and olive groves.

Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello are to name but a few of the places we visit along the way in this compelling journey through art, nature and culture.

By foot we enjoy numerous beautiful villages embedded in the mountain overlooking the sea, in areas where nature is almost untouched. Back on the boat, the cuisine is inspired by ancient recipes from the nearby fishing villages.

The local specialities are the fresh fish of the day, pasta and local cheeses etc, complimented by seasonal vegetables and all the aromas of the Mediterranean maquis

departure for Amalfi : July 6th guaranteed , Aug 31st, Sept 28th guaranteed , Oct 26th

Walking & Gullet: Volcanoes of the Aeolian Islands – Full Board
From €1380 Full board

Walking & Gullet: Volcanoes of the Aeolian Islands – Fulll Board

On board our gullet we discover the archipelago of the Aeolian Islands, tracing the steps of history from the active volcanoes to the seas and ash and lava deserts. The Aeolian archipelago is made up of seven islands: Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi.

All the islands are different and full of contrasting scenery: from the black sand beaches of Vulcano and Stromboli to the pristine white sand of Lipari, and from the eruptions of Stromboli to the fumarole of Vulcano.

The constant beautiful blue sea is one of the exceptions to this vision of the archipelago.

departure for Aeolian Islands: June 8th guaranteed , Sept 7th, Oct 5th

Fabien Rolland
www.onefootabroad.com
Founder & Managing Director
+353 443 3973
fabien.rolland@onefootabroad.com

Luxury African safari operator Great Safaris is offering two unique itineraries exploring Egypt this year. After political tensions arose in early 2011, Great Safaris was among the first North American tour operators to resume travel to the region. More than two years after Egypt’s period of civil unrest, Great Safaris invites travelers to return to this African gem for a once-in-a-lifetime tour escorted by a private Egyptologist.
Boasting a leadership team with more than 80 years of combined experience in the African travel industry, Great Safaris offers well-appointed, safe itineraries highlighting Egypt’s most desirable attractions, including:

Explorations in Cairo and Luxor, a high-end Nile river cruise and the opportunity to travel the historical sites with a local expert in Egyptian history and culture.

Both tours are fully commissionable to travel agents at 15 percent.

The seven-day ‘Landof the Pharaohs’ itinerary starts by discovering the wonders of Cairo and most well-known surrounding attractions. Exploration in this city of contrasts includes the fabulous pyramids and Sphinx, the Citadel, Sultan Hassan Mosque, the old town bazaars and, finally, the delightful Cairo Museum with its intriguing Mummies Room.

Luxor, picturesquely perched on the shores of the Nile River, is where the adventure goes “afloat”. A five-day Nile cruise ship is the best way to explore the temples, built on the shores of the holy waters.

Each day travelers disembark with their own private Egyptologist, discovering the secrets of ancient Egypt returning to the contemporary comforts of the Sonesta Nile Goddess in the evening. This premier five-deck Nile cruise ship offers an outdoor pool, a variety of suites and spacious cabins. Nightly activities range from a Captain’s cocktail reception to a traditional Galabaya party for an authentic Egyptian experience.

Land cost for this expedition is $2,599 per person covering guides, accommodations and most meals with daily departures through 2013.

Great Safaris has also designed the 10-day Gift of the Nile tour for travelers interested in the luxuries of touring Egypt’s most popular destinations and cruising the Nile for a stellar value.

An overnight in the bustling city of Cairo allows for optional sightseeing, exploring the vast history of this magical country.

In Luxor, Great Safaris’guests will join their luxury Mirage Cruise. Seven nights will be spent floating the fabled Nile River, from Luxor to Aswan, and back to Luxor. Land cost for the Gift of the Nile itinerary is $1,499 per person covering accommodations andmost meals with daily departures through 2013.

About Great Safaris:

Great Safaris is an award-winning luxury African safari outfitter offering the convenience of a US booking office coupled with seven fully-staffed on-site offices in Africa. Destinations include Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia,and Zimbabwe. Great Safaris offers luxury programs to help adventurous travelers explore Africa and create enriching life experiences.

For more information please visit Great Safaris’ web site at www.greatsafaris.com  Great Safaris is arecipient of National Geographic Traveler’s 50 Tours of a Lifetime award,and a proud member of the United States Tour Operators Association,ASTA Tops, and ARC.  Read the Jetsetters Magazine features that explore Egypt with Great Safaris.

Star Clippers will offer culinary-themed voyages led by European chefs and sommeliers this summer and fall. The select sailings will include complimentary cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and culinary lectures. Each theme will reflect the region in which the ship is sailing. So while in the Mediterranean, for example, guests can learn about cooking with lemons, capers and olives. Baltic sailings might include instruction on German tapas or a traditional Swedish smörgåsbord.

Among the culinary sailings, Chef Christian Loisl and Champagne Cattier’s Sommelier Philippe Bienvenu will host lectures about Champagne during Star Flyer’s seven-night Aug. 18 Travemünde-to-Hamburg cruise. Mama Lazzari, head chef at La Casa Lazzari in Lazio, Italy, will conduct cooking demonstrations on Ligurian cuisine during Star Clipper’s five-night Civitavecchia-to-Monaco voyage departing Oct. 14. Chef Volker Drkosch from the Michelin-starred Victorian Restaurant in Düsseldorf, Germany, will demonstrate how to cook with olives and olive oil during Star Clipper’s seven-night sailing from Monaco to Barcelona, departing Oct. 19.

The program includes more than 20 destinations that are maiden calls or ports that haven’t been visited in years. Overnight stays are also included in St. Petersburg, London, Bordeaux, Venice, Seville, Istanbul, Malta, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Rouen (Paris), and Amsterdam.

Seabourn Sojourn will offer 10-day cruises from Barcelona, Athens and Monte Carlo, visiting ports on the Italian and French rivieras, and in the Greek Isles. Seabourn Spirit will alternate 10- and 11-day voyages from Venice to the Adriatic and Dalmatian coasts. Seabourn Odyssey will sail the Eastern Mediterranean, exploring the Greek Isles and Turkey on seven-day cruises alternating between Athens, Istanbul and Venice. The ship will also sail the Black Sea on three seven-day cruises.

Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Legend will summer in Northern Europe. Seabourn Quest’s seven-day Baltic cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm include a three-day stay in St. Petersburg, Russia. Seabourn Legend will offer nine- to 12-day cruises in the Baltic and Scandinavia, as well as the Norwegian fjords, and a 21-day cruise to Spitsbergen and the North Cape that skirts the edge of the polar ice pack in the Arctic Ocean. In addition, Seabourn Legend will sail on a single 15-day roundtrip cruise from London to the British Isles, Ireland and Belgium.

“The American Queen truly redefines river cruising and provides guests with so much more than they thought was possible on a river cruise,” said American Queen Steamboat Company President and COO Ted Sykes. “Our guests see the Mississippi River and its tributaries in a whole new way. Our new brochure captures this experience as it describes the acclaimed cuisine, world-class entertainment and amenities including eight lounges and multiple dining options.”

The brochure also details the distinctions that differentiate the American Queen experience from other river cruises aboard the largest riverboat in the world. The boat offers sailings from seven to 14 days and a diverse array of accommodations to suit every budget. American Queen also has a dedicated fleet of luxury coaches that follows the boat on every cruise, providing free shore excursions in every port. Multiple dining options and venues include the two-deck-tall J.M. White Dining Room as the centerpiece of the American Queen dining experience..

The new brochure includes voyage descriptions for the 2013 season with a total of 30 departures from Memphis and New Orleans, showcasing the Lower Mississippi’s fabled plantations, Civil War battlefields, history and Southern culture. New themes such as Blue Hawaii, an Elvis Tribute; Blues & Barbecue; Louisiana History & Culture; Southern Spirits; Gardens of the River; Good Old Summertime; Baseball Legends; and Manifest Destiny also are featured.

The company, founded by Richard With, celebrates on the actual anniversary, July 2, with coffee, cake and musical entertainment.

Hurtigruten will sail into Lyngenfjord on the southbound portion of the anniversary voyages. Located between Skjervøy and Tromsø, this fjord is flanked by the Lyngen Alps and stretches approximately 52 miles with waterfalls, green banks, glaciers and canyons. Guests can meet local fishermen, who come onboard and offer tastings of their daily catch.

Many ports are participating in the celebration. In the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord, 19-year-old Ingvild Sætra, a folk musician and fiddle-player, will perform. A local duo named Sounds of Nature (aka SON) greets guests in Tromsø with a mix of jazz, blues, electronic and traditional folk music. Further north, entertainment is offered by the Berlevåg male voice choir. On the culinary side, Hurtigruten’s chefs drew inspiration from 1893 as they developed a special anniversary dinner menu.

In Belfast, participants can go behind the closed doors of Stormont, the seat of Northern Ireland’s governing Legislative Assembly and symbol of hard-won peace solidified by 1998’s Good Friday Agreement. A three-course lunch with an Assembly member follows at an almost 200-year-old Georgian manor and working farm.

From the port city of Warnemünde, a trip to Berlin is led by a local film expert, who guides through the city’s famous movie locations from films such as The Bourne Supremacy, Inglourious Basterds, and Run, Lola, Run. A champagne “wrap party” and private screening of Billy Wilder’s “One, Two Three” will be held at the swanky Red Room inside members-only Soho House, formerly the home of the Soviet Politboro.

Victoria Cruises is offering a complimentary one-night à la carte dining upgrade. The offer is also extended to those who book a Victoria cruise on the Yangtze River as part of a package from a tour operator. The dinner in the Dynasty Dining room is normally reserved for guests in the line’s VIP Executive Program. Victoria works with Philadelphia-based Concepts By Staib Ltd. Chef Walter Staib and his team routinely travel to China to equip the ships and train the culinary staff to prepare Western dishes.

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