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.

General Tours offers big savings on Danube cruise this November

General Tours is offering more than $1,000 per couple savings on Main Deck outside staterooms aboard the MV Mozart -- a five-star Peter Deilmann river vessel -- on its eight-day "Treasures of the Danube" voyage embarking November 2, 2008.

A Main Deck outside stateroom now starts at $1,599 per passenger, double occupancy, down from $2,149 previously -- an $1,100 savings per couple.

The MV Mozart sails roundtrip from Passau, Germany, an easy transfer from Munich Airport, and visits Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary, among other stops (with overnights in both those ports). Here's one of the best parts of the deal: seven escorted sightseeing excursions are included, as are port charges.

For more information, click here or call General Tours at 800/221-2216.

Photo of MV Mozart from Peter Deilmann.

Last-minute Alaska deal from Princess

Princess Cruises has a truly last-minute special on a seven-day Alaska voyage aboard the Coral Princess on September 8, with fares as low as $489 for inside cabins, and obstructed oceanview fares from $589.

This "Voyage of the Glaciers" cruise sails between Anchorage (Whittier) and Vancouver, BC, and features two glacier viewings -- one in Glacier Bay National Park and one in College Fjord.

Air add-ons from $399 to $599 roundtrip are available from West Coast, Central, and East Coast gateways.

A fuel supplement of $9 per person per day up is included in the fares; government taxes and fees are additional.

To book call Princess at 800/PRINCESS or a travel agent and ask for promo code UEC/UED.

Photo from Princess Cruises.

Carnival one-day sale today on a year's worth of cruises

Carnival Cruise Lines has a one-day sale today offering savings and free upgrades on almost all its cruises -- ranging from three to 12 days -- between now and August 31, 2009.

You could start with a $199 per person rate on an inside cabin on a four-day Western Caribbean cruise departing Miami September 8, 2008, aboard the Carnival Fascination. That's $50 a day for a voyage to Key West, Cozumel, and back. Or you could pay a bit more ($249) for a similar cruise aboard the Imagination on December 15, 2008.

Or, how about a 12-day Northern Europe/Baltic cruise aboard the Liberty out of London with stops in Copenhagen, Berlin, Helsinki, Talinn, St. Petersburg, and Amsterdam on June 2 or 14, 2009, for prices starting at $1,549 per person?

Free upgrades are available within like categories and not all categories are available for upgrade.

More fine print: Government taxes, fees, and a $9 per day fuel surcharge per passenger are additional. The offers expire midnight tonight (August 28, 2008) and are for new bookings only.

To book, call Carnival at 888/CARNIVAL, call a travel agent, or go to the Carnival website here. Be sure to ask for fare code P1S.

Photo from Carnival Cruise Lines.

Last-minute Princess special: Iceland and Greenland transatlantic cruise for $60 a day

Princess Cruises is offering up a last-minute special on an 18-day Copenhagen to Ft. Lauderdale transatlantic crossing aboard the Crown Princess for double-occupancy fares starting from $1,075 for an inside cabin, and $1,775 for a balcony stateroom.

That's as low as $60 a day for the inside cabin and less than $100 a day for the balcony.

The cruise embarks on September 17 -- that's only about three weeks from now, making this what we call a boom-boom special. So if you have some free time next month, grab it now.

The sailing encompasses nine port stops, including London, Dublin, Reykjavik, Qaqortoq (Greenland), St. John's (Newfoundland), and New York City. The Crown Princess is considered the jewel of the Princess fleet.

You can also land an air add-on for as low as $599 if you're flying to Copenhagen one-way from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, or $699 to $899 additional if you're flying from most East Coast, Central, or West Coast gateways.

Government taxes and fees of up to around $200 per person are additional to the basic fares, but a daily fuel supplement of $9 a day, up to a maximum of $126 per person, is included in the fares listed.

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

Crown Princess photo from Princess Cruises.

Oceania offers free air, two for one fares on winter 2009-2010 cruises

The premium cruise line Oceania is offering free roundtrip economy airfare from more than 100 gateways and two-for-one fares on its 24 cruises for the winter season of 2009-2010.

The cruises aboard Oceania's fleet Regatta, Insignia, and Nautica -- all mid-size ships -- range from 10 to 40 days and span the warmer areas of the globe from Asia and Australia to South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

One particularly interesting itinerary aboard the Nautica spends 40 days traversing Asia, from Istanbul to Singapore, with stops in Israel, Egypt, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and India.

Fares begin at $1,499 per passenger, though most are somewhat or considerably more than that. If you don't want or need the airfare, you can ask for the appropriate amount (usually several hundred dollars) to be deducted from your cruise fare.

This special offer expires on December 31, 2008, so you have some time, though Oceania cruises tend to fill up early -- a word of warning to procrastinators. To book, go to the Oceania website or call 800/531-5658 or a travel agent.

Photo from Oceania Cruises.