Cunard announces design and itineraries for its newest liner, the Queen Elizabeth

Cunard Line will launch its newest ocean liner, the Queen Elizabeth, on October 12, 2010 -- the third new liner introduced by the line in the past six years and the second largest Cunard ship ever built. It will join the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria in the Cunard fleet.

The new liner's name, of course, harks back to the original Queen Elizabeth, which was launched in 1938, and succeeds the recently retired Queen Elizabeth 2. So while it will be the third "Queen Elizabeth" ship, it will not be called the QE3.

The new liner will combine 21st-century amenities with traditional features such as Art Deco elements, rich wood interior panelling, mosaics, marbles and chandeliers. Public rooms and spaces will be on a grand scale, including a ballroom, garden lounge, and games deck.

In 2010, the Queen Elizabeth will make its 13-night maiden voyage out of Southampton, England, on October 12, sailing to Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Madeira; fares will start at $2,995 per person. If you're looking for a more affordable introduction to the ship, consider the five-day "Gallic Debut" voyage from Southampton to Rotterdam, Brussels/Bruges and Cherbourg, with fares starting at $1,195 per person. The liner will also make four other voyages in 2010, including a 22-day holiday Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean in December, 2010.

You can begin booking the Queen Elizabeth's inaugural season on April 2 (2009). For information and reservations, call Cunard at 800-7-CUNARD or a travel agent; or go to the Cunard website here.

Photo of the Queen Mary 2 from Cunard.

Cruise News Tidbits

*** Disney is doubling the size of its cruise line. Its current two ships, the Disney Wonder and the Disney Magic, will be joined by two new ones in 2001 and 2012, the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. The two ships are being built in Germany. (And yes, there is a Carnival Fantasy and an upcoming Carnival Dream, but there's no word on whether there will soon be a Carnival Mickey and Carnival Goofy.)

*** The Hawaii Superferry, whose beginning we chronicled back in June 2007, has suspended operations, at least for the time being. It has been ferrying passengers and cars between Oahu and Maui and, after today, will no longer make the run. The reason: the Hawaii Supreme Court has ruled that the company can't operate until an environmental review is finished, to determine its effect on whales and other wildlife. The case is under appeal.

*** Carnival's Alaska cruises will sail out of Seattle starting in 2010, rather than Vancouver, BC. This is part of a trend: Seattle passed Vancouver this year for the first time as the leading departure point for all Inside Passage cruises. Carnival's one ship in Alaskan waters, the Spirit, will make 17 seven-day sailings from mid-May through August in 2010; port calls will include Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Victoria, BC; Tracy Arm Fjord is also on the itineraries.

Photo of Carnival Spirit from Carnival.

Battle of the luxury cruise lines

Two weeks ago, we reported on Seabourn's slashing of prices on upcoming European sailings.

Regent Seven Seas and Crystal Cruises are also getting into the act.

Regent has announced what they call "ultra-inclusive" pricing, which comes on top of their traditional "all-inclusive" pricing, which already includes gratuities and alcohol. What's the difference? For starters, if you book by May 31 of this year, Regent is offering free (selected) shore excursions for most of the rest of its 2009 sailings and all of its 2010 sailings (some restrictions apply). Regent is also offering two-for-one price savings (that is, 50 percent discounts) and free air -- gateway cities are limited, so you may have to pay extra -- also dependent on booking by May 31.

Crystal, meanwhile, has announced its own "All Inclusive -- As You Wish" program, which offers shipboard credits of $2,000 per couple if you book a cruise of 11 days or longer. Crystal's program stresses individual spending decisions: you can spend your credit on shore excursions, alcohol, or whatever you want.

In the past, discounting has been much more typical of mainstream lines such as Carnival or Royal Caribbean than the luxury lines. The battle of the luxury lines indicates just how tough the competition is for the cruise dollar in these hard economic times.

Photo of Seven Seas Voyager from Regent.

Celebration Cruise Line inaugurates short cruises to The Bahamas

The new Celebration Cruise Line has begun sailing two- and three-night cruises this week from Port Everglades, Florida, to Nassau's Paradise Island. The line has scheduled seven departures for March and another 13 for April, as it gets into full swing. Two-night departures are on Mondays and Wednesdays, while three-night departures are on Fridays.

Celebration employs a single ship, the Bahamas Celebration, which holds 1,500 passengers. Rates range from a low of $99 per passenger for an interior bunk on the lowest deck on a two-night cruise to $639 per passenger for a deluxe suite on a three-day cruise over a holiday weekend.

The cruise line is run in large part by former executives from the now-defunct Imperial Majesty Cruise Line, which sailed to The Bahamas on the aging Regal Empress, which is apparently being retired rather than face costly safety upgrades. The Regal Empress -- if not Imperial Majesty itself, which had taken to practically giving away its cruises (amid annoying telephone promotions) the past couple of years -- will be missed. (For more on the Regal Empress, see Peter Knego's Sea Treks blog here.)

The Bahamas Celebration is itself nearly 30 years old, but has undergone extensive renovations to ready it for its new duties. It features four restaurants (one at additional cost), a casino, a nightclub with Vegas-style shows, a spa, and various bars and lounges. There are also children's facilities as well as a pool with waterslide. The ship spends a full day in Nassau, with shore excursions (such as snorkeling and glass-bottom boat trips) available for purchase.

For booking, call 800/520-2410 or a travel agent, or go to the Celebration Cruise Line website.

Photo from Celebration Cruise Line.

Seabourn puts European luxury voyages on sale

The Yachts of Seabourn luxury small-ship cruise line is holding a one-week "Stimulate Your Summer" sale of selected European voyages departing in June and July of this year. Bookings must be made between March 9 and March 16, 2009.

The savings amount to up to 65 percent off regular fares for 14 sailings of one to two weeks in the Mediterranean and northern Europe aboard the Seabourn Pride, Spirit, Legend and the new Odyssey (whose maiden voyage is June 24 from Venice, but isn't part of the sale). All Seabourn yachts feature all-suite accommodations, open bars and complimentary water sports.

Spoecial fares begin at $2,840 per person, double occupancy, and are valid for all categories of suites on board.

For details, call Seabourn at 800/929-9391 or a travel agent, or go to the Seabourn website.

Photo of Seabourn Pride from The Yachts of Seabourn.

Fred. Olsen offers specials on Norway, Baltic cruises

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, featuring relaxed British atmosphere aboard its five classic ships, is offering reduced prices on three sailings to Norway and one to the Baltic this spring through fall. Cruises leave from UK ports.

The 839-passenger Boudicca (pictured above) sails Norway for seven nights starting April 26, 2009, with prices starting at $950 per person (down from $1,110), and again for six nights starting June 15, 2009, with a reduced price of $641 per person, down from $956, for outside cabins.

The 987-passenger Braemar departs August 29, 2009, for seven nights in Norway for $951 per person, down from $1,189; and sails to the Baltic on December 14, 2009, for 12 nights, at a reduced price of $1,508 per person, down from $2,075.

You can expect great service aboard Fred. Olsen as well as interesting itineraries, featuring some lesser-known ports that bigger ships can't reach.

To book a Fred. Olsen cruise in the U.S., call Borton Overseas at 800/843-0602 ext. 21 0r 612/821-9701, or go to the Borton Overseas website.

Boudicca photo from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Variety Cruises Greek Summer (April-October) Sale

Variety Cruises, the four-year-old small-ship cruise line specializing in Greece, Turkey, the Red Sea, the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, is putting some of its Aegean cruises and cabins on sale for the summer 2009 season.

Couples booking into a double-occupancy cabin can save up to $1,500 on the line's "Classical Greece" and "Aegean Odyssey" itineraries, as well as receive two free nights at a four-star Athens hotel and a half-day sightseeing tour of Athens before or after the cruise.

Sailings are aboard the line's mega yachts Harmony G or Harmony V, departing from Athens or Crete. Port stops may include some of the lesser known Greek Islands including Patmos and Samos.

Possible sailing dates range from April 24, 2009, to October 30, 2009, but not all dates within those months are on sale, and cabins are limited to A, B, or in some cases C categories. See the Variety Cruises website or call 800/319-7776 (from US) or 866/944-8498 (from Canada) for more information on the sailings. Fares before the savings start at $2,290 per person.

Photo of M/Y Harmony V from Variety Cruises.

A dirge for a barge -- RiverBarge Excursions packs it in

RiverBarge Excursion Lines, which operated the 196-passenger River Explorer, a set of connected barges that sailed on American rivers and inland waterways, has ceased operations for 2009.

A statement on the line's website blames the economic downturn -- "rising costs and very soft bookings" -- for the decision.

The 10-year-old company announced that all prospective passengers who have put down deposits will have their money refunded once funds are made available from a special escrow account overseen by the Federal Maritime Commission.

If you need more information, you can try calling RiverBarge at 888/GO-BARGE (888/462-2743).

With the historic Delta Queen very possibly having taken its last cruise, it's starting to get awfully quiet -- or at least far less picturesque -- out there on American rivers.

-- Clark Norton

Cruise West extends early booking deals for Alaska

Cruise West, which runs small expedition-style cruises to Alaska (among 0ther destinations), is extending its early booking discount for its 2009 Alaska cruises and waiving the fuel surcharge for passengers who book and pay in full by January 30, 2009.

You can save up to $1,210 per cabin, double occupancy, on a 2009 eight-night Alaska's Inside Passage cruise, including one night's hotel accommodations in Juneau. The itinerary starts at $3,999 per person. This promotion may be applied to existing bookings.

The company is also waiving the fuel surcharge on all its 2009 cruises for passengers who pay in full by the final early booking discount dates for those cruises. For instance, if you pay in full for fall Japan cruises by January 17, 2009, or by March 27, 2009 for Panama and Costa Rica, Mexico's Sea of Cortes, or Columbia and Snake River cruises, you can escape the fuel surcharge.

For more information or bookings, go to the Cruise West website or call 800/296-8307.

Photo from Cruise West.

Happy Holidays from Smarter Cruising

Wishing you all the best -- cruising and otherwise -- during the holiday season and throughout the New Year.

Clark Norton

The Smarter Cruiser

Photo by Dennis Cox/WorldViews

Hurry! Viking River Cruises sale ends tonight

In an effort to encourage more people to take a river cruise, Viking River Cruises is offering a special promotion for anyone who has taken an ocean cruise -- a $1,000 per couple discount on any 2009 Viking itinerary.

This is in addition to the early booking discount of up to $2,000 per couple that is also being offered. Cruise prices start at $1,449 per person.

In total, you can save up to $3,000 per couple on two itineraries: a 15-day Grand European Tour along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers, from Holland to Hungary; and the 16-day Eastern European Odyssey.

You can save up to $2,000 per stateroom on other Viking itineraries ranging from the 16-day Russian Rhapsody to the 17-day China's Cultural Delights tour, which includes a 10-day Yangtze cruise.

But you have to hurry -- the offer expires at 7 pm PST (10 pm EST) tonight, December 19, 2008. To take advantage of it, you have to pay in full by tonight. Be sure to request fare code 30W when you call. Viking can be reached at 866/200-5395 or 800/304-9616, or call a travel agent now.

Photo courtesy of Viking River Cruises.

Elegant Cruises offers discounts on 2009 Adriatic and other European voyages

Elegant Cruises and Tours is offering $300 per person discounts on a variety of 2009 small-ship cruises ranging from the Adriatic to the Azores to remote Scottish Isles.

Elegant Cruises is also waiving the singles supplement on three April 2009 departures of its week-long Venice and Dalmatian Coast cruises of Croatia -- its most popular itinerary -- and offering 30 percent savings on shore excursions for those trips.

The cruises aboard the m/s Monet or the m/s Andrea must be reserved by January 31, 2009, in order to take advantage of these offers.

Elegant is also offering $300 off per person on seven Red Sea cruises in January and February 2009 (with visits to Egypt and Jordan) if you reserve by December 31, 2008.

Having sailed down the Dalmatian coast on the m/s Monet, I can vouch for the quality of these cruises, from the excellent onboard accommodations and food to the historical and cultural lectures and friendly crew. The ships' intimate size provides an opportunity to get to know everyone on board.For more information or bookings, go to Elegant's website or call 800/683-6767 (e-mail info@elegantcruises.com).

Photo courtesy of Elegant Cruises and Tours.

Cruise lines ending fuel supplements

The sharp downward trend in oil prices is leading a number of cruise lines to drop the fuel supplements they implemented in the past year. Fuel supplements typically averaged $7-$9 per day, usually up to a maximum of $70 to $120 per passenger per cruise, depending on the cruise line. This is good news for cruise-goers, who can scratch at least one unexpected added fee to the cost of their voyage. Not having to pay a fuel supplement, for example, essentially cancels out the cost of tipping for many cruises.

Here are two of the most recent announcements:

**MSC Cruises eliminated fuel surcharges for all new bookings for 2009 beginning December 16, 2008. Passengers who have already booked for 2009 cruises will receive a shipboard credit equal to the amount of the fuel supplement. If fuel supplements are re-imposed in the future due to newly rising oil prices, anyone who books with a deposit prior to that decision will be protected from having to pay it.

**Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines eliminated fuel surcharges on all bookings made on or after December 17, 2008. Passengers who have already paid fuel surcharges will receive shipboard credits for the full amount of payment. (Bookings for Fred. Olsen in the U.S. are handled by Borton Overseas; call 800/843-0602 and press 6 at the prompt).

Photo of the Fred. Olsen ship Balmoral by Peter Knego.

Congratulations to President-Elect Obama

Smarter Cruising wishes President-Elect Barack Obama smooth sailing through what are bound to be some rough waters during the next four years.

Well done!

Cruise fares plummet -- deals galore!

According to R. Alan Fox, CEO of the discount cruise site Vacations to Go, cruise prices have plummeted in the past two weeks to levels not seen since immediately after 9-11.

A combination of bad economic news and tropical storms have scared off potential passengers, Fox says. The good news for those who do want to cruise, however, is that all cruise lines except super-luxury lines will slash prices to fill as many cabins as they can. Fox adds that you can expect to find discounts of 70 to 80 percent or even more on some sailings over the next two months.

Here are a few bargains Vacations to Go is listing on its 90-Day Ticker:

** A 19-day Princess cruise from Bangkok to Sydney via Vietnam and Malaysia, with departure November 23, for rates as low as $895 per person for an inside cabin -- 79 percent off the brochure price. (Ask for Fast Deal #29750.)

** A four-day Norwegian cruise roundtrip from Miami to The Bahamas, departing December 1, for rates starting at just $109 per person -- 88 percent off the brochure price. (Ask for Fast Deal 25260.)

** A 16-day Holland America cruise around Cape Horn from Argentina to Chile via Antarctica, departing January 8, 2009, for rates starting at $1,499 per person -- a 71 percent discount. (Ask for Fast Deal #10278.)

** a 17-day Fred Olsen cruise from Tahiti to Australia, departing February 5, 2009, for prices starting at $1,342 -- a 78 percent discount. (Ask for Fast Deal #17186.)

These deals are bound to go quickly, but if you go to the Vacations to Go website, you'll find many more like them.

For more information, call Vacations to Go at 800/338-4962.

Photo from Norwegian Cruise Lines.

One more week to grab two-for-one Oceania fares to the Mediterranean

Oceania Cruises' early-bird specials on spring 2009 European voyages are nearing an end, so if you're interested, now is the time to act. Oceania -- a super premium line with some of the best cuisine at sea and a low-key atmosphere onboard -- is offering two-for-one cruise fares and free airfare on a number of western and eastern Mediterranean cruises for next year.

Fares start at $3,499 per person for a 14-day Barcelona to Istanbul cruise embarking April 4 on the Regatta with stops en route in France, Monaco, Italy, and Greece. Or you could choose a 12-day Rome to Istanbul itinerary for fares starting at $3,299, embarking May 31 aboard the Insignia.

Other itineraries available include a 12-day Istanbul to Athens, a 12-day Rome to Venice, and a 14-day Istanbul to Venice, all ranging from $3,499 to $3,999 per person, double occupancy.

If you don't want to take the free airfare offer, you should be able to land a further discount of several hundred dollars per passenger. Be sure to ask when booking.

The fine print: Government taxes and fees, and fuel supplement charges are extra. The free airfare deal is available from 20 major U.S. gateways; other gateways require an additional charge.

For more information or bookings, go to the Oceania website or call 800/404-8652 or a travel agent.

Photo courtesy of Oceania.

Ready to sail? Take off to Canada and Colonial America with Princess in a week

Princess Cruises has another last-minute offer working: this one is

a 17-day voyage aboard the Royal Princess to Canada and Colonial

America. Fares start from $1,295 per person in double occupancy for inside cabins, and $1,495 for obstructed oceanview.

Embarkation date from Montreal is October 29 -- one week from today.

The cruise features 12 ports of call, including Quebec City; Sydney (Nova Scotia); Halifax; Portland, Maine; Boston; New York City; Philadelphia; Norfolk; Baltimore; and Charleston before finishing up in Ft. Lauderdale.

$99 air add-ons are available one-way between Ft. Lauderdale and Montreal, plus fees and taxes up to $50 per person. Government fees and taxes of up to $360 per person are additional to the cruise fare, though fuel supplements are included in the base price. This offer is for new bookings only.

For more information or to book passage, visit the Princess website or call 800/774-6237 or a travel agent, and ask for promo code UES.

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises.

Last-minute Panama Canal cruise deal from Princess

The ship sails October 22, so if you can leave on a two-week Panama Canal cruise on just a bit over a moment's notice, this one could be for you.

Princess is putting inside, obstructed oceanview, and balcony cabins on sale for its Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles cruise in two weeks (via Colombia, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico) aboard the Coral Princess, but you'll need to act fast. Inside fares start at $995 per passenger in double occupancy, while obstructed oceanview cabins are $1,095 per passenger and balconies are $1,395 per passenger.

A $9 a day fuel supplement (up to $126) is included in these fares, though government taxes and fees of $202 per passenger are not, so you'll come up about $77 short on that exchange. Residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible for the fares.

Air add-ons are available to or from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, or Los Angeles for $199 plus government taxes and fees of up to $110 per person.

For more information or bookings, call Princess at 800/774-6237 or a travel agent, and ask for promo code UES. You can also go to the Princess website here.

MSC holds contest for free group Caribbean cruise

MSC Cruises is holding a new Family and Friends Group Contest in honor of the upcoming arrival of its ship MSC Orchestra in North America.

The winner will receive up to four staterooms (each holding up to four passengers) on a seven-night Caribbean sailing -- either in the Eastern or Western Caribbean -- during the 2008-2009 winter season.

To win, you must write a maximum 150-word essay describing what you "envision a fantasy cruise for you and your family onboard the Orchestra would be like," as the cruise line puts it. Essays will be judged on creativity, enthusiasm, knowledge of the Orchestra's features as well as Caribbean destinations, and fit with the theme "the Orchestra is coming to town."

Weekly voting on the best essays will be followed by weekly prizes. The grand prize winner will be announced December 5.

To enter, log onto this web page. And good luck!

Photos from MSC Cruises.

Save up to $2,000 per couple on Uniworld European river cruises

Uniworld is offering savings on selected 2009 European river cruises of up to $2,000 per couple ($1,000 per person) if you book and pay in full by September 30.

The offer applies to category 2 and above cabins on a number of different European river itineraries for 2009. For example, you could choose the "Eastern European Explorer," a 16-day itinerary from Vienna to Bucharest (or vice-versa) that runs from early April through mid-October next year.

For lower-price cabin categories, you could save between $1,000 and $1,200 per couple. Rates for lower-priced cabins for "Eastern European Explorer" voyages start at around $4,000 per person, depending on which month you sail. You'll need to request an exact quote from Uniworld to see exactly how much you save on the cruise you want.

If you book and pay in full by November 30, 2008, you can still save up to $500 per couple on selected 2009 itineraries.

For more information or bookings, go to the Uniworld website or call 800/733-7820 or a travel agent.

Photo from Uniworld.