Jetsettersblog

Costa is featuring two trans-Atlantic sailings aboard the Costa Fortuna at fares starting at $699.

Offered are a 15-night positioning voyage departing Savona, Italy, on Dec. 6, to Fort Lauderdale, and a 17-night sailing departing Fort Lauderdale on March 17 en route to Savona.

The first voyage visits Barcelona; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands; Pointe-A-Pitre, Guadeloupe; St. Maarten; Catalina Island; Dominican Republic; and Nassau, Bahamas.

The March 15 voyage stops in Nassau, Catalina Island, St. Maarten, Pointe-A-Pitre, Barbados, St. Cruz de Tenerife, Funchal, Barcelona and Savona.

The 105,000-ton Costa Fortuna features 1,359 cabins ― 857 ocean view and 458 with large verandas. The ship offers 11 bars, four restaurants, a theater, three swimming pools, a casino, disco, ballroom and a gym.

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Viking River Cruises is happy to announce its Early Booking Discounts for the 2009 sailing season has been extended and now expires on the 31st of October. Valid for cruises in Europe, Russia and China and now also including sailings on the newly renovated Viking Surkov in Russia and their ‘Roof of the World’ itinerary, a 16 day adventure exploring the imperial treasures of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, 6 day Yangtze cruise as well as the Tibetan plateau known as ‘the roof of the world’.

The Grand European Tour, the iconic Amsterdam to Budapest cruise, from Holland’s windmill studded tulip fields to Germany’s fairytale castles, from the engineering marvel of the Main & Danube Canal to the picturesque vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley, this epic voyage presents the highlights of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Starting from $5,799 per person in a category B deluxe stateroom, now offered with a saving of $1,250! Book and pay in full by 31 October and all you pay is $4,549 per person for an all-inclusive 15 day cruise along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers in a deluxe category B stateroom or higher.

Viking River Cruises award winning 12 day Yangtze cruise, Imperial Jewels of China, exploring cosmopolitan Shanghai and the historic imperial treasures of Beijing such as the Forbidden city, the Great Wall and famed Summer Palace combined with a cruise between Wuhan and Chongqing through the wildly beautiful Three Gorges and Lesser Gorges is also now offered at a discount. Save up to $750 per person in a deluxe category B stateroom or higher, now starting from $2,749 per person including the fantastic discount.

Grand European Tour, 15 days, Amsterdam to Budapest &
Eastern European Odyssey, 16 days, Bucharest to Nuremberg
For stateroom category B or higher - save $1250 per person
For stateroom category C or lower - save $500 per person

Treasure of the Rhine, 15 days, Switzerland to Belgium
Portraits of Southern France, 8 days, Chalon-sur-Saone to Avignon
Rhine Getaway, 8 days, Amsterdam to Basel
Romantic Danube, 8 days, Budapest to Nuremberg
Cities of Light, 12 days, Paris to Prague
Elegant Elbe, 12 days, Berlin to Prague
Paris and the heart of Normandy, 8 days, Paris to Le Havre
Tulips & Windmills, 10 days, Amsterdam to Amsterdam
Danube Holiday Delight, 8 days, Passau to Vienna
Danube Explorer, 8 days, Vienna to Nuremberg
China’s Cultural Delights, 17 days, Beijing to Shanghai
Imperial Jewels of China, 12 days, Shanghai to Beijing
Roof of the World, 16 days, Beijing to Shanghai
For stateroom category B or higher - save $750 per person
For stateroom category C or lower - save $500 per person

Waterways of the Czars, 13 days, St Petersburg to Moscow
Russian Rhapsody, 16 days, St Petersburg to Moscow
Footsteps of the Cossacks, 11 or 12 days, Kiev to Odessa
For all stateroom categories - save $500 per person
EBD discount for Viking Surkov is $350 per person, all categories.

For Terms & conditions please visit www.vikingrivercruises.com . All prices are listed in Australian dollars. Book and pay in full by 31 October 2008 and valid on 2009 sailings only.

For bookings and enquiries please contact your local travel agent or Viking at:
Australia:? Australia@vikingrivercruises.com or toll free number: 1800 829 138
New Zealand:? Newzealand@vikingrivercruises.com?or toll free number: 0800 447 913

About Viking River Cruises is the leading river cruise line in the world, operating the world’s largest fleet of 22 deluxe vessels built specifically for river travel providing unique, deluxe vacations. All 22 vessels are fully owned by Viking River Cruises and operated by Viking River Cruises own Swiss hotel management and staff. Viking River Cruises is a member of International Cruise Council Australasia.

For more information and all details on Viking River Cruises product, service, please go to www.vikingrivercruises.com or contact Teresia Fors, Managing Director Australia & New Zealand, +61 405 644 550 or teresiafors@vikingrivercruises.com

If the idea of nearly a third of a year off to go cruising sounds like your sort of a holiday, consider an amazing 101-nights from New York to Sydney and back to New York aboard Cunard?s grand Queen Mary 2 in 2010.

This ultimate in special anniversary, birthday or even retirement gifts to yourself (or an employee,) will visit 32 ports in 21 countries between January 4 and April 15 2010 and is selling through ecruising.travel at over 30-per cent below previously advertised prices.

A hotel night in New York pre-cruise, all 5-star onboard dining throughout the 101 nights cruise, a special World Cruise Celebration Dinner and complimentary World Cruise Gift, nightly Broadway-style shows and late-release movies, complimentary room service, gratuities, port charges, and transfers in New York are all included.

As well, an onboard spending credit of up to US$1000pp (depending on cabin category) is included in the price that starts from $24,999pp twin-share ? a saving of $10,750pp ? with free cabin upgrades on select cabin categories, and an additional 5% off for past Cunard guests.

Air travel and taxes are additional; for full information and a detailed itinerary phone 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel

ITINERARY DETAILS: Queen Mary 2 will sail 7-nights across the Atlantic to Southampton, then Lisbon, Civitavecchia for Rome, Port Said (Cairo,) Safaga for Luxor and Karnak, Muscat, Dubai, Mumbai, Phuket, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hong Kong where she will overnight.

From Hong Kong she sails on to Shanghai, Nagasaki, Yokohama for Tokyo, Guam, Rabaul, the Whitsunday Islands, Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Sydney (overnight,) Adelaide, Perth, Port Louis in Mauritius, Durban, Cape Town (overnight,) St Helena, Rio de Janeiro, Barbados, Fort Lauderdale and New York.

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With Prestige Holidays

Discover the secrets of the mysterious and exclusive world of perfume with Prestige Holidays at the luxurious Reid?s Palace Hotel in Madeira from 10-17 November.

The operator is offering budding perfumers a package for a seven day ?Perfume Master Class? departing the UK on 10 November and costing ?2096 per person.

The package features four perfume master classes, the chance to create a perfume signature, a cooking lesson with perfumes, two lunches, one traditional afternoon tea, three dinners and a full body aromatherapy massage in the hotel spa.

Also included in the price are return flights with TAP (Air Portugal) from London Gatwick, private taxi transfers and seven nights BB accommodation at Reid?s Palace in a Classic room.

For further information and bookings call Prestige Holidays on 01425 480400 (www.prestigeholidays.co.uk).

Set in 10 acres of lush, sub-tropical gardens with breathtaking views of Funchal Bay, the elegant and world-famous Reid?s Palace offers impeccable standards of service and a wide range of leisure facilities.These include a new gym, two tennis courts, table tennis, two delightful heated swimming pools on the garden level, one with seawater and one with freshwater plus an unheated pool by the sea with bathing terraces.

The Hotel recently added a fabulous new Spa with 4 therapy rooms and a couples therapy suite with its own outdoor terrace and plunge pool. The spa offers a varied spa menu with many healing and relaxing treatments created by some of the world?s top spa brands.

Reid’s PalaceBook great holidays to Reid’s Palace with Thomson

Orient Lines has revamped its rate structure in response to the current financial crisis. The line?s owner, entrepreneur Wayne Heller, has launched a new Leadership Pricing initiative, with 11-day Europe cruises priced from $1,799 per person, based on double occupancy. ?The economy is still in a very, very precarious place,? Heller said.

?This is the time for Orient Lines to take a leadership position in the industry and truly do something that helps consumers. Our new Leadership Pricing translates to savings of up to $5,000 per cabin off brochure rates.? Heller purchased the assets of Orient Lines and is resurrecting the destination specialty line. Under the new rate structure, two 11-day Mediterranean cruises are priced from $1,799 per person, double, reduced from $2,999. Two 16-day Baltic cruise-tours, which include an overnight hotel stay and sightseeing in Berlin, are priced from $2,999 per person, double, reduced from $4,649.

The 11-day Aegean Odyssey departs Port Said, Egypt, on April 29, and visits Cyprus, Rhodes, Antalya, Didim and Kusadasi and Istanbul.

Overnights are scheduled for Cairo and Istanbul. Black Sea Explorer is an 11-day roundtrip from Istanbul departing May 9. Ports of call include Trabzon, Turkey; Batumi, Georgia; Sochi, Russia; Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa, Ukraine; and Nessebar, Bulgaria.

The round-trip Istanbul voyage includes an overnight aboard ship before departure. The line?s 16-day Great Baltics I and II cruise-tours operate between Dover (London) and Szcezin, Poland, and include a one-night hotel stay and city tour in Berlin. The highlight of the cruise is three full days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ports of call include Amsterdam; Travemunde (Lubeck), Germany; Copenhagen; Stockholm; Helsinki; Tallinn, Estonia; and Riga, Latvia.

Savings are also offered on fall voyages. The Passage to Rio, departing Nov. 8, 2009, is a 20-day cruise from Barcelona to Rio de Janeiro, priced from $1,799 per person, double. Ports include Malaga and Cadiz (Seville) in Spain; Casablanca and Agadir, Morocco; Lanzarote, Canary Islands; Sao Vicente, Cape Verde Islands; and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. An overnight is scheduled aboard ship in Rio de Janeiro.

As part of Orient?s Leadership Pricing initiative, the number of air gateways has doubled to 40 in North America. Round-trip economy class air add-on fares to Europe are priced from $695 from the East Coast, $795 from the Midwest and $895 from the West Coast. The maiden voyage of the Marco Polo II is set for April 15. The classic 650-guest Marco Polo II features four open-seating dining venues, six bars, a show lounge, cinema, casino, library and Internet center, card room, fitness center, spa with indoor pool and outdoor swimming pool. Experts from the fields of academia, politics, science and the diplomatic corps will be featured on every voyage.

On longer voyages, gentleman hosts will be along to dance and dine with unescorted female travelers. For more information, call 800-333-7300 or visit www.orientlines.com

Europcar - Prius - final.docWorkers and residents in and around London can now escape the city whilst saving fuel, congestion charge costs and their conscience with the availability of the Toyota Prius from Europcar. The UK?s leading vehicle rental organisation is now offering the Prius, the world?s first and most successful hybrid power vehicle, from all of its London locations.

Driving pleasure, comfort and space haven?t been sacrificed to provide an eco-car. Instead the Prius combines style and superb handling with state of the art technology needed in these environmentally conscious times.

The fleet of vehicles are exempt from the London Congestion Charge and can be driven certain distances using electric power only at the press of a button. This means zero emissions, less noise and better fuel economy ? perfect for city and country driving alike.

?The availability of the Prius provides customers with an opportunity to put the hybrid to the test following news that Toyota aims to sell at least 1 million hybrid vehicles annually in the early part of the next decade.? said Catriona Lougher, Marketing Director for Europcar.

?Renting a car with Europcar is already a green choice as all our vehicles are on average just 3 months old and fitted with the latest technology to cut emissions. The average CO2 emission of our fleet is 157 g/km compared to the UK car parc of 164.9 g/km*. However, by making the Prius available we are bringing our customers a new way to drive greener that will also help them cut costs in terms of fuel and congestion charges. It?s all part of our commitment to exploit new manufacturer developments to bring customers the latest models to hit the road and a great rental experience.?

*Source SMMT 2007 report.

Reservations Phone: 1-800-626-0126Website: www.amawaterways.com

The Large and Luxurious Ship In Europe Offers Guests The Best In Service, Facilities, Amenities and More

MSC - sailing in fantasy with MSC Fantasia _Chi_ .pdfRaising the bar for the industry and setting a new standard in cruising, the MSC Fantasia will be christened on December 18, setting sail as the largest cruise ship ever built for a European operator. At 333 metres long, 38 metres wide and nearly 60 metres tall, the MSC Fantasia has ? even before its launch ? established itself as a pioneer in luxury cruise ship holidays.

Offering guests a staggering 27,000 square metres of public space with a host of choices for dining, relaxing, exercising and amusement, the ship?s offerings include: the Aurea SPA, 5 gourmet restaurants, 4 swimming pools, 1 with sliding glass roof, 12 state-of-the-art hydro-massage pools, shops, 20 bars, wine bar, coffee bar, a specially designed children?s area with the ?water slide?, a Formula 1 simulator, a casino, and an interactive 4-D cinema.

A special addition to MSC Fantasia, this breathtaking ship will be the first to feature an exclusive, ultra-luxury VIP area, the MSC Yacht Club, which will offer discerning international travellers a choice of 99 spacious suites, a bar just for VIP guests, a skydome swimming pool, 2 hydro-massage pools and a dedicated observation lounge with a full-service bar. And, while relaxing in the impeccably designed VIP lounges or in the magnificent suites, VIP guests have access to a 24-hour butler service. The MSC Yacht Club has one mission: to delight its guests.

The care and attention to detail that the 1,325 crew members take to ensure that all 3,959 passengers enjoy a fabulous cruising experience is what sets MSC apart. Key to this is a corporate culture in which the beauty and joy found at sea are secured for years to come. In line with its efforts to implement sustainable programmes to safeguard the environment, the MSC Fantasia has been built with the most innovative, energy saving systems, water treatment programs, and the collection of recyclable goods like aluminium drink cans. Having won awards from a number of prestigious international bodies for its eco-conscious efforts, guests on the MSC Fantasia will know not only are they travelling in style, but they are also travelling green.

The health of the environment and of all guests is paramount to MSC, and the Aurea SPA, one of the world?s largest floating spas, has been designed to ensure the ultimate in relaxation and well-being. This authentic Balinese wellness centre will offer innovative treatments ranging from massages and body treatments, reflexology and lava stones, as well as uniquely-designed anti-ageing and muscular treatments performed by highly trained specialists. The 1,500 square metres of the Aurea SPA are divided into several areas: the Thalassotherapy Room, the Thermal Area, the Gymnasium, and the Relaxation Area.

With unparalleled size, never before seen luxury offerings, and some of the most unique spaces for total relaxation and indulgence, the MSC Fantasia marks a new era of cruising, and a revolutionary opportunity for holidays.

After MSC Fantasia comes into service this December, its sister MSC Splendida, which is also the largest fleets by European ship owner, will be christened next spring.

From Holiday Options

Holiday Options has launched its 2009 ?Mediterranean & Atlantic Islands?
brochure ? featuring Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, Port Santo, Madeira, The
Azores, La Gomera and Cape Verde ? and offering a wealth of new ideas and deals

There?s expansion in Corsica, with chambres d?hotes ? often part of a family home - making their debut. An ideal way for visitors to experience rural life on the island, these village rooms are on offer in the Patrimonio and Porto Vecchio areas and are all inspected and licensed by local tourist boards.

Prices start at the twin share rate of ?715 per person inclusive of return flights from Gatwick and half-board accommodation. Car hire can be arranged on request and flights are also available from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Other additions in Corsica include villas with pools, new hotels ? including a former Franciscan monastery in Calvi ? and a ?Great Scenic Rail Adventure? travelling through the mountains from Bastia to Ajaccio.

Further new ideas in the 2009 programme include:

? Madeira ? ?The Family Experience? with ?soft? adventure and whale watching
? The Azores ? short breaks in Ponta Delgada and/or Furnas, plus two UNESCO World Heritage Hotels
? Cape Verde - direct flights from Birmingham to Sal, plus a family-run boutique-style guesthouse on Boa Vista
? Sicily ? the island of Pantelleria, plus more three-star hotels in Taormina and Giardini Naxos
? Sardinia ? new flight from Edinburgh to Olbia
? The Canaries ? the introduction of Tenerife

Prices in the brochure, valid between November 2008 and October 2009, lead in at ?399 per person for seven nights at the Hotel San Marco in Sardinia inclusive of return flights from Gatwick, transfers and accommodation with breakfast.

Early booking incentives, for reservations made by 30 April 2009, include savings of up to ?800 per couple on 14-night holidays on selected dates at the four-star Relais and Chateaux Grand Hotel de Cala Rossa on Corsica.

ATOL-bonded Holiday Options also offers the option of flexible holiday durations from three nights upwards, utilising a choice of airlines including scheduled, low-cost, as well as their own charters.

Reservations: 0844 477 0452, www.holidayoptions.co.uk