Save money on upcoming Elegant Cruises in Europe

My wife and I recently returned from a one-week Elegant Cruises voyage down the Croatian coast, and highly recommend it for anyone seeking a small-ship experience to an alluring destination.

The ship, called the Monet, holds just 62 passengers with an all-Croatian crew almost half that size. The result is plenty of personal attention from the staff -- and excellent chances to meet most if not all of your fellow passengers; we made some great friends along the way.

And what a way it is. Starting and ending in Venice -- perhaps the world's most beautiful city -- the Monet sails down the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea to visit such incredible ports as Dubrovnik, Split, Korcula, Zadar, and Pula. Highlights include medieval walls and churches, Roman ruins, hundreds of islands, a pristine national park to explore, and a cafe culture that rivals Paris. If you haven't been to Croatia -- one of the world's hottest destinations at the moment -- this is one of the best ways to see it. As a small ship, the Monet can usually dock quite near the center of the old cities, making it easy to walk right off and find yourself in the center of the port action within minutes.

Now, Elegant Cruises has just announced 15 percent discounts on its week-long Venice-Dalmatia cruises on these upcoming 2007 departure dates: June 20, 27, July 18, and August 29. If you're interested, book fast.

Elegant has also just announced a 25 percent savings on its two-week August 24 cruise called Mediterranean Discoveries, aboard the Monet's sister ship, the Andrea, with stops in Portugal, Spain, France, Corsica, Sardinia, and Italy -- a fascinating itinerary that gets off the beaten track. For this voyage, Elegant is also waiving its usual single supplement, so a solo passenger can sail for the same price as a double occupancy passenger, a huge incentive if you're traveling by yourself. Again, if you're interested, act fast.