Jetsettersblog

Hurtigruten announced price savings of 50 percent on most cabins (not suites) on six- and seven-day Norwegian Coastal Voyages. Sailing between Bergen and Kirkenes, the journey visits fishing villages in the Lofoten Islands and cities like Tromso and Trondheim as it sails by the fjords along Norway’s 1,250-mile west coast.

Cabin prices on the seven-day northbound voyage, originally $2,369 to $4,029, are now $1,185 to $2,015 per person, double.

On the six-day southbound voyage, brochure rates of $1,860 to $3,160 have been reduced to $930 to $1,580.

The savings are valid on new bookings of most departures between May 1 and June 15 and are capacity-controlled. This offer cannot be combined with other promotions.

 For more information, call 800-323-7436 or visit www.hurtigruten.us

Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance members are offering summer and fall savings and higher commissions to stimulate travel. American Cruise Lines is offering $500 off per stateroom on its “Lobster Festival Cruisesn select departures in June and July to the New England islands or Maine coastal cruise.

The savings is available on new bookings made before April 30. Regular cruise rates range from $3,295 to $4,685. For travel agents, American is offering a $100 bonus commission per stateroom on any new bookings for 2009 departures made before April 30.

Cruise West has reduced the single supplement on category A and AA cabins on Alaska’s Inside Passage and the “Columbia & Snake Rivers Northwest Passageruises. (For example, the single fare in an A cabin on the Northwest Passage cruise is $3,512, a savings of $1,370). In addition, guests can save up to $300 per cabin, based on double occupancy, by booking and paying in full by March 27 for Cruise West’s three- or four-night “Glacier Bay Highlightsnd “Glaciers of Prince William Soundruises.

Elegant Cruises & Tours is offering agents 20 percent commission on “Cultural Crossroads of the Ionian and Adriatic Seasruises between Athens and Venice. Elegant is offering passengers $600 per person or 10 percent off brochure rates (whichever is the greater figure) for savings of up to $900 per person for top categories with all shore excursions free, an $800 value.

To qualify, bookings must be received by March 31.

Sailing dates are May 27 and June 7.

Regular cruise-only rates for both departure dates range from $4,795 to $8,995 per person.

 Value savings for early booking by March 31 yield a fare range of $4,195 to $8,095 per person. Elegant voyages include complimentary house wine and beer served with lunch and dinner.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is offering four cruises at a savings when booked by March 25. The sailings include a Norway cruise on Boudicca departing April 26 for seven nights; the original price started at $1,110 and the reduced price is $950. Another Norway departure for Boudicca is June 15 for six nights from $641 per person for an outside cabin. The Braemar departs Aug. 29 for a seven-night Norway cruise from $951. Also, a 12-night Baltic cruise on Balmoral departing Sept. 14 is now priced from $1,508 per person.

Galapagos Explorer is offering discounts from $380 to $900 per person, with rates starting at $1,160 per person.

The Galapagos Explorer II, an all-suite vessel, offers three-, four- and seven-night cruises on the archipelago.

All activities are included with two visits per day to 10 islands in the seven-night cruise program.

Hurtigruten’s 2009 “Escorted Vacationsine-up features four 14- to 18-day fully escorted cruise-tours to Norway, Scandinavia and several Baltic countries. Hurtigruten has announced reductions of more than 30 percent on departures from March to October 2009, with the shoulder seasons offering the greatest savings.

 The new air-inclusive pricing ranges from $5,799 to $14,269 per person, double occupancy, reduced from $8,449 to $14,599. The centerpiece of each program is a six-day southbound, seven-day northbound or 12-day roundtrip cruise aboard a Hurtigruten ship sailing along Norway’s fjord-filled, 1,250-mile west coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. Hurtigruten also unveiled two all-inclusive Greenland cruises in 2009 with savings of 64 to 68 percent.

The “Pay-One-Priceeal is available on all suites and staterooms on the 318-berth Fram for the season’s two one-way sailings. The first on May 20 is the 17-day cruise, between Reykjavik, Iceland, and Greenland; the second, on Sept. 22, is the 18-day voyage between Greenland and New York. Prices include flights from New York/Newark, one night hotel in Copenhagen, all meals onboard, most transfers, some shore excursions, taxes and air fuel surcharges and ticketing fees. Suites, normally $16,676 to $20,366 per person, are being priced at $5,499 to $7,249, while staterooms, normally $12,536 to $15,716, are $3,999 to $5,249.

Imperial River Cruises is offering an $800-per-cabin discount on all cruises in Russia and Ukraine. The company also offers a commission rate of 15 percent.

Peter Deilmann Cruises has announced two new 14-day “Fall Foliageruises aboard the 520-passenger Deutschland along the Eastern seaboard of Canada and the U.S. The Oct. 6 departure focuses mostly on Canada and the Oct. 20 sailing spends much of its time in the U.S. Fares are reduced to $4,200 to $15,500 per person, double occupancy, a savings of up to 26 percent over normal fares of $5,700 to $17,000. Deilmann’s $99 airfare package includes roundtrip air from dozens of North American gateways as well as pre-arranged shore excursions and transfers, representing a $600 value. Passengers arranging their own air receive an allowance of $750 per person, deductible from the cruise fare.

Star Clippersas a new “Third Berth Free in Tahitirogram for sailings departing between May 3 and Dec. 19, 2009. The third guest in a triple-berth cabin sails free on the seven-, 10- and 11-night Tahiti itineraries. If the third guest is under the age of 11, they may even fly for free with Air Tahiti Nui on select dates. Adult guests purchasing the air for their Star Flyer sailing from Star Clippers may receive a free ticket for children under the age of 11.

Cruise-only rates begin at $950 per person in a triple cabin, plus port charges.

Star Clippers also has a honeymoon offer on seven-day Tahiti sailings in 2009 where brides receive a 50 percent discount off of the cruise fare when the groom pays the brochure rate on an outside cabin (categories C1-C3 only). Guests who book their air with Star Clippers also receive a free night post-cruise at the Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti in Papeete. Honeymooners must have been married within three months of the sailing departure and book at least four months in advance.

Cruise fares per honeymooning couple begin at $3,743 ($2,495 for the groom and $1,248 for the bride).

Variety Cruises announced savings on a select number of 2009 Greek cruises.

Passengers can save up to $1,500 per cabin and get two free nights at an Athens hotel and a free half-day sightseeing tour. Variety operates 50-passenger vessels.

Voyages of Discovery’s summer 2009 program features double early-booking savings for departures May through October when booked by March 31.

The 17-night “St. Petersburg & the Northern Capitalsruise roundtrip from Harwich (London) departs May 28 and features three days in St. Petersburg plus a two-night pre-cruise London hotel and sightseeing package. Brochure fare for minimum inside Category O starts at $4,350 per person.

The advertised early-booking fare is $3,750 per person with $199-$399 air add-ons. When booked by March 31, the fare is $3,095 plus free-to-$199 air from select gateways.

A non-refundable $500-per-person deposit is required to secure the savings. The line’s Winter Voyages 2009-10 program begins with the “Passage to Indiatinerary.

The 26-night Barcelona-to-Mumbai cruise features 2-for-1 savings plus free air from select gateways.

The second person only pays $295 port charges. If booked by April 30, travelers get an additional 10 percent Launch Offer discount.

Brochure fare is $8,595 for a minimum Category O and the 10 percent Launch Offer fare is $7,765.

 For more information on all these offers,

 visit www.nichecruise.com

The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world’s largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, recently polled its members to come up with the “Top 10ost exciting ferry rides in the world.

“Public and private ferry boats provide an inexpensive alternative to cruises, often traversing some of the world’s most beautiful harbors, fiords, rivers and waterways at bargain prices,aid SATW President Bea Broda.

Listed in order of votes are the world’s “Top 10rips by ferry boat:

1. Star Ferry in Hong Kong (www.starferry.com.hk/home.html);

2. Ferries from Sausalito to San Francisco (www.goldengateferry.org or www.blueandgoldfleet.com);

3. Staten Island Ferry, New York (www.siferry.com)

4. Washington State Ferries, Puget Sound to the San Juan Islands (www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries)

 5. British Columbia Ferry System, including Vancouver to Victoria (www.bcferries.com)

6. Ferry from Sydney Harbor to Manly (www.sydneyferries.info)

7. The Ferry System of the Greek Isles (www.greek-islands-ferries.gr)

 8. The “Blue Canoesf the Alaska State Ferry System (www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml)

 9. “Norway in a Nutshellour and ferry ride (www.norwaynutshell.com)

 and 10. Ferry from Mallaig to Isle of Sky, Scotland (www.calmac.co.uk)

The Centraal Museum in the Dutch City of Utrecht will highlight Utrecht-based painter Jan van Scorel (1495-1562) who brought the Italian Renaissance to the North.

This artistic evolution will be examined in detail in the exhibition Scorel’s Glory at the Centraal Museum from March 20 until June 28. Scorel was the most important Dutch painter of his age and under his influence Utrecht became the most advanced center for painting in the Northern Netherlands.

Jan van Scorel was greatly influenced by the Renaissance painter Raphael, whom he succeeded as keeper of the papal art collection. Back in Utrecht, he painted Italian-inspired art and quickly received numerous commissions. Scorel’s work marks the transition from medieval to Renaissance painting.

The collection of Old Masters is one of the highlights of the Centraal Museum’s collection. Utrecht’s painters were far more inspired by Rome than other painters in Holland. After Jan van Scorel introduced the Renaissance to Holland, Abraham Bloemaert (1566-1651) and Joachim Wtewael (1566-1638) adopted the Italian Mannerist style.

In the seventeenth century a group of painters in Utrecht were inspired by Caravaggio’s experiments with dramatic lighting effects and others fantasized about the beautiful Mediterranean landscape.

For more information, visit www.centraalmuseum.nl

Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht will also feature an exhibition Masterly Manuscripts at Museum het Catharijneconvent Utrecht, on show from May 16 to Aug. 23, with over 100 manuscripts. Masterly Manuscripts was prepared in close collaboration with University Library Utrecht, which is celebrating its 425th anniversary this year.

In the Middle Ages, the city of Utrecht as an Episcopal see, was the center of culture, politics and religion in the Northern Netherlands. The decorated manuscripts produced in this period are among the pinnacles that stand out in the history of art.

All the Masterly Manuscripts were either made in Utrecht or have a special connection with the city.

For more information, visit www.catharijneconvent.nl

These exhibitions are part of the official program of Holland Art Cities 2009-2010. This festival pools the resources of 10 major museums in Amsterdam, Rotterdam,

The Hague and Utrecht to present an unprecedented wealth of art treasures. During Holland Art Cities, two Amsterdam museums — the Hermitage Amsterdam and the Stedelijk Museum — will celebrate their (re)openings. The exhibitions and displays that make up Holland Art Cities are divided in three themes: International Influences; Young: Modern and Contemporary Art and Design; and Dutch Masters.

For more information, visit www.hollandartcities.com

This summer Air Berlin, Germany’s second-largest airline, will be operating a new route from Berlin-Tegel to Krakow, the second-largest city in Poland. Another new addition to the route network is non-stop flights from Berlin to Oslo, the capital of Norway.

This is the first time that Air Berlin will be serving the Norwegian market. From April 25, 2009, Air Berlin will be taking off from Berlin-Tegel and heading to Krakow every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Feeder flights to Berlin are available from numerous German and European cities, including Düsseldorf, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Cologne-Bonn, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zurich.
The new service to Oslo starts on April 24, 2009. From Monday to Friday there will be a daily non-stop flight from Berlin-Tegel to Oslo and return. Air Berlin is the only German airline to offer flights from Berlin-Tegel to Oslo. Feeder flights to the Berlin hub are available from nine German cities, as well as from Vienna and Zurich.

For more information, call 866-266-5588 or visit www.airberlin.com

Viking River Cruises announced that an additional ship, Viking Danube, has been deployed on the Amsterdam-to-Budapest “Grand European Tourtinerary for 2009. This brings the total departure dates for this itinerary to 41 sailings this year. “We have seen overwhelming demand for ‘Grand European Tour, 15-day journey through five countries from Amsterdam to Budapest, which we consider the ultimate river cruise vacation,aid Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking River Cruises.

 “With 21 sailings already sold out, we have added a new ship to this itinerary. Our original projections for 2009 were conservative, but with the strong response to our promotions, we find ourselves needing to handle more guests.p>

Viking saw January sales from travel agents running 28 percent above those of last year, with the European spring sailing season already at 96 percent occupancy. “We saw strong success with our Ocean Cruisers Savings offer, which gives an additional $500 off to passengers who had previously taken an ocean cruise,agen said.

“By giving travel agents the targeted promotions they need, we have been able to both increase sales and preserve strong travel agent commissions averaging $1,040 per booking.agen attributes the strong sales to steady marketing support.

 For more information, call 877-668-4546 or visit www.vikingrivercruises.com

In 1984 the Oslo Pass was launched as one of the very first city cards in Europe.

While more than 40 European cities now offer various types of city cards, few are able to present visitors with a product as simple, yet as comprehensive as the Oslo Pass.

Oslo has only one city card, and with the slogan

“Save Time and Moneythe card offers free entrance to 35 museums, free public transportation (train, bus, metro, tram and ferries), free parking in municipal car parks all over the city, free guided walks, free entry to swimming pools and special offers in restaurants, shops, entertainment and leisure venues.

“The Oslo Pass is a great success, and almost every year gives us new sales records,ays Oslo Pass Manager Stefanie Tuma of VisitOSLO.

 “The simplicity of the product combined with the unique cooperation between the contributors also makes the future very bright or the tourism industry as well as the tourists enjoying the benefits!p>

The Oslo Pass is available at tourist information centres, hotels, camping sites,

 www.visitoslo.com

and other official sales points in Oslo.

The DK Eyewitness Travel 2009 catalogue is now available, please get in touch if you would like to receive one.

See below a list of all updated guides for January to March including 3 new Top 10’s to Devon and Cornwall, Buenos Aires and the salsa capital of the world - Rio de Janeiro. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also get the DK treatment as travellers look to Eastern Europe for new experiences beyond the Euro zone plus we launch a compact edition of the bestselling Travel: Where to Go When. Please feel free to request review copies

DK TOP 10 SERIES

Amsterdam Top 10
Barcelona Top 10
Berlin Top 10
Buenos Aires Top 10 NEW
Cancun & The Yucatan Top 10
Crete Top 10
Devon & Cornwall Top 10 NEW
Dublin Top 10
Florence & Tuscany Top 10
London Top 10
Madrid Top 10
Mallorca Top 10
Miami & the Keys Top 10
Munich Top 10
New York City Top 10
Paris Top 10
Prague Top 10
Rio de Janeiro Top 10 NEW
Rome Top 10
San Francisco Top 10
Scotland Top 10
Venice Top 10
Washington DC Top 10

DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES

Amsterdam Eyewitness Travel Guide
Barcelona & Catalonia Eyewitness Travel Guide
Berlin Eyewitness Travel Guide
Brussels, Bruges, Ghent & Antwerp Eyewitness Travel Guide
Budapest Eyewitness Travel Guide
Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania Eyewitness Travel Guide NEW
Florence & Tuscany Eyewitness Travel Guide
France Eyewitness Travel Guide
Great Britain Eyewitness Travel Guide
Ireland Eyewitness Travel Guide
Italy Eyewitness Travel Guide
London Eyewitness Travel Guide
Madrid Eyewitness Travel Guide
New York City Eyewitness Travel Guide
Paris Eyewitness Travel Guide
Prague Eyewitness Travel Guide
Rome Eyewitness Travel Guide
Spain Eyewitness Travel Guide
Washington DC Eyewitness Travel Guide

Crystal Cruises is offering one North Cape itinerary this year. The July 11 “Arctic Expeditiontinerary aboard Crystal Symphony departs Copenhagen for Stockholm, stopping in several Norwegian ports, including Honningsvag, the country’s northern-most fishing village, then to the Polar Ice Cap in search of the Ice Barrier. Other highlights include Molde, Longyearbyen, Geiranger/Hellesylt, Bergen and Ålesund, Norway, and transits along Bear Island and the Barents, North and Norwegian seas.

“These ports may not be household names, but Crystal guests are savvy travelers who are culturally curious and ready for adventurous experiences that create lifetime memories,aid Bill Smith, senior vice president-sales and marketing.

“The North Cape cruise has been very popular with guests who have explored traditional European routes, who seek alternatives to Alaska cruises and want to escape the summer heat and humidity. This sailing allows guests to appreciate some of the still-untouched beauty of the region in a way not possible by land.p>

Crystal Adventures include trekking the ice fields of Longyearbyen Glacier, flying over the fjords of Bergen, hiking to the village of Trollkirka for cave exploration, or quest for king crab in the North Cape.

Fares for the 14-day cruise start at $6,550 per person, double occupancy.

With Crystal’s “Save Now, Save Laterrogram, guests who book this cruise by March 31 can save 20 percent on most 2010 cruises.

Australians seeking to travel to Scandinavia will benefit from a new and FREE essential guide, which provides a smorgasbord of unique experiences, tips for easy and affordable travel, as well as ‘not to be missedear round attractions.

The Essential Guide to Scandinavia is a pocket travel book produced by The Scandinavian Tourist Board Australia, in collaboration with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), in response to an increase of Australians travelling to Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
STB’s Chief Marketing Officer from Asia-Pacific, Kjell Ellefsen said recent travel statistics reveal that Australians are visiting Scandinavia more than ever, with Sweden being the most popular destination.
‘From January to November 2008, Scandinavia as a whole hosted 125,809 Australian bed nights - a 10.19% increase from 2007 figures in the same time period.

Sweden and Norway competed for the most popular destination with 45,926 and 43,820 bed nights respectively; while Denmark was close behind with 36,063,r. Ellefsen said.

The essential guide highlights year-round activities that cater to all interests from gourmet travelers and outdoor enthusiasts to cultural seekers and history buffs.

During the cooler months, a winter wonderland of snowfall, world-class skiing and winter sports, and cosy cafes awaits as spectacular northern lights illuminate the sky in the far north. In the summertime, the cities and countryside towns come alive with music festivals, water sports, hiking and biking tours.

‘Australian travellers will find something to love in the chic metropolitan centres and welcoming towns of Scandinavia. From the well known tranquil Nyhavn, Tivoli and beautiful Amalienborg of Copenhagen, the designer hotels, restaurants and boutiques of Stockholm and the popular Vigeland Park, new Opera House and Viking ship museum of Oslo,r. Ellefsen added.

Free copies of the Essential Guide to Scandinavia are available through Carpe Diem, Australian representatives of STB by calling (02) 9212 1332 or by sending an email to: info@visitscandinavia.com.au