See the world by sea --Discounts on all flavors of cruises, from tall ship adventures to river barges to Caribbean Christmas cruises
MSNBC, By Pauline Frommer
ARTHUR FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL
June 17 — The cruise discounts are coming in waves nowadays as the sluggish economy and lingering fears over international travel continue to torpedo travel pricing. Thanks to the downturn, all types of vessels are being discounted from the standard, large ships of the major cruise lines; to the river barges and coastal ferries of Europe; to old fashioned sailing ships. We’ve rounded up a few of the best bargains below.
Top travel deals
We like to call Windjammer the “anti-cruise”. Instead of being crowded onto a large and impersonal “city at sea”, passengers get a taste of what sailing was like at the turn of the century (and before). All of Windjammer’s vessels are actual tall ships, of human scale, with billowing rectangular sails. The relatively small size of the ships allow them to “dock” in isolated coves and small fishing villages, far from the bustling and overcrowded ports that blight much of the Caribbean. The ships vary slightly in size, but none carry more than 130 passengers each.
Windjammer has two sail sales going on right now. For fall travel, the SV Legacy is launching six day itineraries for just $999/person—no great shakes for a normal Carib cruise, but an exceptional deal for one that includes airfare (from Miami, Boston, Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia). The cruise-only rate is a still-good $675. This offer runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, the height of the Caribbean’s hurricane season. Not to worry though, as the Legacy sails outside the hurricane belt, plying the waters between the (usually) storm-free ABC islands—Aruba, Curacao, Kline Curacao and Bonaire.
Windjammer has also extended a friendly hand to families, allowing one child to sail free when accompanied by two adults this summer. This works for both the S/V Legacy and the S/V Polynesia, both of which have extensive programs for kids (aged six and up only). What happens to families of four? Each child under twelve pays half price. Single parents, as well, pay half price for their children (up to two).
Eugene Buchanan answered your questions on the rafting, canoeing and kayaking vacations. Read the transcript.
To learn more call 800/327-2601. Windjammer’s website is www.windjammer.com, but it’s almost useless, not having been updated apparently in the last six months or so. You’ll do better to call.
SCANDINAVIA BY SHIP
There are few more dramatic floats in Europe. Just above the Arctic Circle, the ships of Norwegian Coastal Voyage make daily runs up down the coast, through towering fjords and past historic fishing villages, hillsides ablaze with wild flowers and numerous untamed little islands. Though the ships cater mostly to locals, who use them as we use ferries in the US, there are also a few hundred tourists aboard each voyage, drawn by the spectacular scenery, the nice onboard amenities (swimming pools, panoramic lounges, modern private staterooms) and of course, the low, low prices.
Those rates are going to dip even lower this year, thanks to a 10 percent off sale currently being offered by NCV, with a corollary 25 percent off sale on certain sailings. Prices normally start at $885/person, per six night cruise, so with the discounts these sailings are rock bottom. (Prices vary by date, ship and cabin class.)
Seniors have it even better: AARP members will receive an additional $70 to $100 off per cabin in the summer, between $95 and $170 off after Aug. 16. After Sept. 17, the pesky singles supplement is waived as well. To top it all off, senior discounts ARE combinable with the regular 10 and 25 percent off sales. For more information and some very pretty pictures, go to www.coastalvoyage.com. One quick suggestion: don’t buy a shore excursion package in advance. You’ll pay less if you purchase excursions on an ad hoc basis onboard. ONE MORE CHANCE TO BARGE IN FRANCE
We told you about two weeks ago about the steep discounting that was going on for French barge cruises this summer. The original marked-down July sailings have sold out, but the folks at Viking Cruises have put their “French Vineyards and Vistas” Aug. 2 itinerary on sale for a piddling $599 (a savings of 65 percent off the brochure rate). That tremendously low price includes a portholed cabin, all meals, folkloric entertainment onboard, even shore excursions (all of them—now, that’s an unusual perk for a cruise). This is quite a cushy ship, by the way, making this sale even more remarkable. Go to www.vikingrivercruises.com to learn more about the itinerary (from Avignon to Chalon); please note that there is no info about this sale on the site. For that you’ll have to call 877/66-VIKING and mention code 006-38. CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS CRUISE It’s not often that we see savings on X-mas sailings, and even rarer to find a discount this far in advance, but that’s what’s happening of the Dec. 18 voyage of Celebrity Cruise’s Galaxy. The price is currently at a low $549 for this eight-night holiday at sea, with a round-trip itinerary (calls in St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados, Venezuela, Aruba) out of San Juan. Christmas Day itself is spent at sea, but onboard this mid-90’s cruiser (she was launched in 1996) the holiday should be a festive one, spent either in one of the ship’s toney martini or cigar bars, or around one of the ship’s three pools. The Galaxy is known for the quality of her cuisine, so we have no doubt that all the stops will be pulled out both for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We found this special price at the site of Cruise Club of America (www.cruiseclubofamerica.com or 800/982-2276), but it’s possible that other cruise discounters have it as well. Be sure to shop around. {Editor’s Note: Cruised recently recently? Do you have an instructive anecdote, tip or horror story to share? We’d love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simply click here to send a letter to our editors.}