One-day Carnival sale features cruises through March 2009

Carnival Cruise Lines is having one of its periodic one-day sales this Thursday, May 1, with a preview day tomorrow, April 30.

Savings and free upgrades are available on many of its cruises through March 31, 2009.

A number of three- and four-day sailings are on sale for prices as low as $279 per passenger in double occupancy. These include three-day Bahamas cruises aboard the Carnival Imagination on December 5, 2008, and January 9, 2009; four-day Baja Mexico cruises aboard the Carnival Paradise departing November 3 and 10, 2008; and four-day Western Caribbean cruises aboard the Carnival Holiday and Imagination on December 1, 2008, and January 8, 2009.

Five-, seven-, eight-, and 12-day cruises are also on sale for starting prices ranging from $349 for a five-day Baja Mexico cruise on November 15, 2008, aboard the Carnival Elation to $1,199 for a 12-day European cruise aboard the Carnival Freedom October 25, 2008.

The fine print: Prices do not include $7 per day per passenger fuel supplements, nor do they include government taxes and fees. Upgrades are available within certain categories only and may be limited.

For more information or bookings, go to the Carnival website or call 888/CARNIVAL or a travel agent and request fare code CP1S.

Photo from Carnival Cruise Lines.

Act quickly for Norwegian coastal voyage specials on Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten (formerly known as Norwegian Coastal Voyage in the U.S.) has a number of specials on its sailings along the Norwegian coast from Bergen to Kirkenes -- one of the world's most beautiful cruising itineraries -- that are expiring Wednesday, April 30.

* Free air offer: Book a selected 12-day Norwegian coastal voyage in October, November, or December 2008 and receive free roundtrip air from either JFK in New York or Newark International Airport in New Jersey.

* Two-for-one air fare offer: Book a selected six- or seven-day Norwegian coastal voyage during the same three months and receive two-for-one priced airfare from the same two gateway airports.

* Two-for-one cruise fare offer: Book a selected six-, seven-, or 12-day Norwegian coastal voyage departing in October-December 2008 and receive free companion cruise fare. (Offer is not valid for suites.)

* 50 percent off second guest offer: Book a selected six-, seven-, or 12-day Norwegian coastal voyage departing in May or September 2008 and receive 50 percent off for the second guest.

* Cruise-only offer: Book a selected six-, seven-, or 12-day Norwegian coastal voyage departing from May 20, 2008 to September 14, 2008, and save up to $1,000 per stateroom.

Please note that these offers cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions and that they're valid for new bookings only, made by April 30, 2008.

They're valid only for certain departure dates, and other restrictions may apply, so call Hurtigruten at 866/257-6104 for sailing dates and other details.

Photo from Hurtigruten.

12-day Holland America Mediterranean cruise for $999

Vacations to Go is offering a 12-day Holland America Mediterranean cruise aboard the Zuiderdam next month for prices starting at $999 per person for an inside cabin, 70 percent off the brochure rates.

Oceanview and balcony rates both start at $1,599 for the cruise, while suites start at just $2,299 per person, all based on double occupancy. Savings on balcony staterooms and suites also approach 70 percent off brochure rates.

The cruise departs Barcelona on May 20, 2008, and ends in Venice on June 1, with stops in Monaco, Italy, Greece, and Croatia along the way. Highlights include chances to explore Florence, Rome, Olympia and Corfu Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Rates quoted include port charges but not fuel surcharges or government taxes or fees.

The only way to get this deal is by calling Vacations to Go at 800/338-4962 and asking for Fast Deal #10584. For a cruise itinerary, click here.


Photo of Zuiderdam from Vacations to Go.

Win a free European river cruise from Vantage Travel

By referring a friend or family member to Vantage Deluxe World Travel, you could win a free European river cruise for two with roundtrip airfare -- an $8,000 value per couple.

The prospective travelers you refer must be new to the Vantage mailing list, and each time one of them actually travels with Vantage, you'll receive a $150 per person credit toward your next Vantage trip, while the person you refer will receive a $50 to $100 credit off their trip.

Better yet, when you fill out this referral form, you'll automatically be entered in the drawing to win a "Castles Along the Rhine and Danube River Cruise" for two.

You need to fill out the form by May 5, 2008, to be eligible to win. Winners will be drawn at random on July 15, 2008.

Photo from Vantage Travel.

Uniworld has sale on November river cruises in Europe

Uniworld Grand River Cruises has announced a "November to Remember" sale of several of its upcoming European river cruises this November. Cruises must be booked and deposits paid by April 30, 2008.

Passengers sailing in double occupancy can save up to $1,000 each on selected 12- to 14-night cruises and up to $500 each on selected seven-night cruises.

You can cruise the rivers Seine (from Paris through northern France), Danube (between Budapest and Vienna), or Rhine to Amsterdam through this offer. The longer cruises are combinations of two one-week cruises, so that you can sail both the Danube and Rhine, for instance.

For more information or bookings, go to the Uniworld website or call 800/868-7905 or a travel agent.

Photo from Uniworld.

easyCruise offers springtime special on Ionian Islands, Albania cruises

easyCruise, the British-based Greek Islands cruising specialist, has announced discounts on its first cruises of the spring season on easyCruiseOne's new Ionian Sea itinerary, which visits a mix of Greek islands and includes a day in Albania to see Butrint, a World Heritage Site.

The cruises on April 29, May 12, and May 26, 2008, offer nine-, ten-, and 11-day itineraries, and start at 299 British pounds per person, or about $600 U.S. The per-person prices include accommodation in a twin outside cabin, five guided tours, and half-board meal plans with continental breakfast and either lunch or dinner.

Departures are from Marina Zea, near Athens, and make at least eight port stops; longer itineraries add two more.

Scheduling is different from the typical cruise ship. easyCruiseOne arrives at a new destination each day by lunchtime and doesn't leave again until early the following morning, so there's plenty of time to explore ports both by day and night.

The ship itself has a spa, sauna, hot tub, bar, restaurant, and sundeck.

For more information, visit the easyCruise website. For bookings, call a travel agent or easyCruise in the UK at 0871 210 0001 and quote "Ionian Offer." You can also call internationally at 30 211 211 6211.

easyCruiseOne photo from easyCruise.

Last-Minute Specials on Viking River Cruises

May is just around the corner, and you could be spending part of it on a Viking River Cruises voyage in Europe or Russia, enjoying two-for-one discounts along the way. You can save up to $5,500 per stateroom, depending on your selection.

The offer applies to a number of Viking voyages during the month of May, and you must book and pay in full by one week from today, April 18. Prices are per person, double occupancy, and include port charges and surcharges as well as guided tours on land.

The two-for-one deals are being offered for the eight-day "Paris & the Heart of Normandy" cruise (Paris to Le Havre), the 13-day "Waterways of the Czars" cruise (Moscow to St. Petersburg), the 16-day "Eastern European Odyssey" (Bucharest to Nuremburg), the eight-day "Burgundy and Provence" cruise, and the 15-day "European Adventure" (Vienna to Amsterdam).

To take two examples: The eight-day "Paris & the Heart of Normandy" cruise has a May 4 departure with rates starting at $1,365, and a May 11 departure with rates starting at $1,615 for available cabins. The 13-day "Waterways of the Czars" cruise has a May 4 departure with rates starting at $1,648 for available cabins and $1,948 on its May 28 and May 31 departures.

A number of cabin categories are already sold out, so it's best to act ASAP to avoid being shut out.

For more information or bookings, go to the Viking website or call 877/668-4546 or a travel agent and ask for offer 22Echo.

Photo from Viking River Cruises.