Cruise and Maritime Voyages is offering an Easter Cruise this spring on the smaller and intimate British ship Marco Polo. The 8 night Easter cruise sails on the 2nd April, from London Tilbury with a convenient and hassle free ex-UK departure visiting four contrasting places in France, from £499pp, a saving of 40% on full brochure price, original price £809pp.

The 8 night Easter cruise sails from London Tilbury on the 2nd April visiting some of France’s most attractive places in Brittany and Normandy. Passengers have the opportunity to see the delightful and historic towns of Honfleur, St. Jean de Luc (for visiting Bayonne), Le Verdon for Bordeaux, and Brest. This unusual cruise also visits the colourful Channel Island of Guernsey before returning to London Tilbury. On board will be expert lectures on wine and the gardens you are likely to encounter during your cruise, including the gardens of St. Peter Port on Guernsey. View this cruise in detail at http://www.cruiseandmaritime.tv/france/france-easter.html

Marco Polo is a top rated traditional cruise ship with consistently high marks in independent surveys for service, food and entertainment. The vessel is a smaller and more intimate British cruise ship delivering a boutique country house hotel style experience at sea. Cruise and Maritime Voyages has carried more than 80,000 mainly British cruise passengers over the last two years. Marco Polo only carries a maximum of around 800 passengers.

The prices are per person based on two sharing an inside cabin and includes full board and daytime and evening entertainment.

Reservations Cruise and Maritime Voyages www.cruiseandmaritime.com 0844 414 6185

With Burns night just around the corner enjoy a truly authentic Scottish experience with Hebridean Island Cruises.

Hebridean Princess traditionally serves haggis on the last gala dinner of each cruise and in true Scottish fashion a member of the crew recites Burns’ famous - “Address to a Haggis” before guests are invited to toast the “Great chieftain o` the puddin`-race”.

As the smallest luxury cruise ship, Hebridean Princess is able to access some of the remotest islands, bays and lochs throughout the whole of Scotland, a privilege beyond the reach of larger vessels.  Sailing to a host of far flung destinations Hebridean offers guests the chance to see Scotland’s dramatic landscapes up close, including visits to some of the places behind many of Burns’ poetic masterpieces.

For more information and to book visit www.hebridean.co.uk or call 01756 704 704

Explore Ashdod (Israel) on Easter Monday before venturing to nearby Jerusalem where Jesus was said to rise from the dead at one of the most spiritual times of the year, on this unique 13 day voyage.

Experience the country’s many Easter processions and sample delicious delicacies such as charoset, matzah balls, kosher, matzah brei and chocolate cakes, prepared especially for the occasion before moving on to Haifa (Israel) on the 10 April.

Join Voyages of Discovery’s mv Discovery on a Egypt and the Holy Land cruise from £999.00 per person, based on 4 April UK departure.

Price includes return flights from a major London airport, transfers and a 13-day voyage departing from Safaga (Egypt) and calling at Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), Sokhna (Egypt), Ashdod (Israel), Haifa (Israel), Limassol (Cyprus), Fethiye (Turkey), Kusadasi (Turkey) and Istanbul (Turkey) - overnight.

Catch a glimpse of Easter in Valletta (Malta) as locals decorate religious statues ahead of the processions on Easter Friday (6 April). Swan Hellenic guest speaker and former Bishop of Bristol, the Right Reverend Barry Rogerson, will also on-board throughout Easter week to deliver special sermons and celebrate the religious festival.

Join Swan Hellenic’s mv Minerva on a Postcard from the Mediterranean cruise from £1,495 per person, based on a 29 March UK departure. 

Price includes return flights from a major London airport, transfers and a 14-day voyage departing from Civitavecchia (Rome) and calling at Naples (Italy) - overnight, Sorrento (Italy), Palermo (Sicily), Sousse (Tunisia), Valletta (Malta) - overnight and Piraeus (Greece) before arriving at the final port of Istanbul (Turkey) – overnight. A tailor-made programme of shore excursions and integrated Guest Speaker talks are also included in the cruise fare.

First and foremost, we extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the tragic circumstances surrounding the Costa Concordia incident and pay tribute to all those who worked tirelessly to help minimise casualties.

The cruise industry is heavily regulated in compliance with the strict standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN agency that mandates global standards. As the industry has grown, the IMO, United States, European Union and other regulators have updated and enhanced the safety regime in numerous ways including improvements in navigation equipment, implementing shipboard safety management systems and enhancing life saving equipment.

Safety-related regulations and requirements are rigorous with ships crews undertaking extensive training, certification, drills and scenarios for emergency situations including evacuation.

Safety procedures are being reviewed; lessons will be learned from this incident and implemented by the global cruise industry and we are also calling on the IMO to undertake a comprehensive evaluation from the findings of the Costa Concordia investigation.

Incidents such as this are extremely rare. More than 117 million cruise holidays have been taken worldwide in the last seven years. The overall safety record of cruise ships has continued to improve with each passing decade as ships utilise better technology, processes and procedures to improve safety and minimise any casualties.

Crystal Cruises, known for its ultra-hands-on service, has announced a first-of-its kind check-in process that will ease embarkation procedures for all guests. Effective today in every Crystal embarkation port, “Crystal Fast-Track Check-In” eliminates 100% of ship check-in procedures in port terminal waiting areas, transitioning guests from dock security to the Six-Star comfort of Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity lounges.

By utilising a new barcode on each guest cruise ticket, a new ticket scanning system and the consistency of Crystal’s own onboard crew, the cruise line is accelerating the check-in required on the first day of sailing. As is customary, in each embarkation port, porters load guests’ luggage onto the ship and guests observe required local security procedures as they enter port terminals. However, instead of processing documentation in the terminal, guests are whisked through and ushered onboard to complete registration and receive their room keys/boarding cards with photo identification.

“Travellers want to start their holiday as soon as possible,” says Philip Ordever, Crystal’s Vice President International Sales. “By enhancing the ease, comfort and speed of embarkation day logistics, our guests get instant access to the ship and can enjoy the luxury of the Crystal Experience all the sooner.”

Crystal’s ethos of warm and friendly attentiveness, proffered by top-trained service staff from around the world, has earned the line a reputation for elevating hospitality to an art form.  With no guest request left untended, Crystal Cruises has been the perfect choice for luxury travellers for over two decades, earning “World’s Best” ratings more than any other cruise line, hotel or resort in history.

For further information and reservations please call Crystal Cruises on 020 7287 9040 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk.

The new www.cruiseandmaritime.com website launches today with the facility to track Marco Polo and Ocean Countess live at sea and watch films featuring every cruise itinerary available at www.cruiseandmaritime.tv For the first time passengers can view the description, route, itinerary and fares all on one page, and then choose their cabin and book online using the fast and safe online booking system.

At a time when more cruise passengers are choosing to book online, Cruise and Maritime Voyages are delighted to be creating an exciting new online journey. Choose to follow Cruise and Maritime Voyages on facebook and twitter and keep up to date with news and special offers. View itineraries, destination photographs and excursion information.

Launching the new website, Chris Coates, Commercial Director of Cruise and Maritime Voyages said, ‘We’re very excited to be improving our online experience for our passengers and engaging with them via social media. We would be delighted if passengers would like to upload their favourite cruise holiday photographs via our facebook page and we are introducing photographic competitions on every cruise in 2012 inviting passengers to enter.’

To experience the unique country house hotel style experience, sail from London Tilbury, Newcastle or Leith on board Marco Polo, or from Hull, Liverpool or Greenock on board Ocean Countess to a variety of destinations. Thesesmall and intimate ships sail around Britain, to France, the Baltic, Iceland, the fjords, Canaries, to see the Northern Lights and to the Amazon and offer a variety of taster cruises for first time cruisers with none of the baggage hassle associated with low cost airline mini-breaks.

Reservations and enquiries www.cruiseandmaritime.com 0844 414 6185

Ultra-luxury Crystal Cruises has launched its complete 2013 worldwide cruise collection – one of the first of the luxury cruise lines to release its entire 2013 calendar and fares, as well as open all cruises for bookings. For travellers who like to plan ahead, ’13 is a lucky number as  “Book Now” fares offer guests the best prices for early bookings made by 28th February or 30th June, 2012 (depending on cruise departure).

Significant changes, such as an increased number of shorter cruises, distinguish Crystal’s 2013 repertoire of 64 itineraries visiting 62 countries and 226 ports-of-call worldwide. Due to the overwhelming popularity of its Northern Europe itineraries in 2012, Crystal has opted to switch its initially scheduled vessel deployment: Crystal Serenity will summer in the Baltic, North Cape and British Isles (in addition to spring and summer Mediterranean seasons), while Crystal Symphony will spend her summer in the Mediterranean. 

Other new highlights include: 

• 16 maiden calls: Baie-Comeau and Havre-Saint-Pierre, Québec; Çanakkale, Turkey; Castellón de la Plana, Spain; La Spezia, Italy; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; Natal, Brazil; Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; Santa Marta, Colombia; Skiathos, Greece; Manta, Equador; Salaverry, Peru; Chacabuco and Cape Horn, Chile; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Langkawi, Malaysia
• More shorter/seven- to 10-night sailings (29 overall) - more than 250% increase in shorter cruise offerings in Europe
• 74-night World Cruise with a comprehensive focus on South America
• 9-7-12-night cruise-length rotation in Europe for choice of shorter or longer back-to-back options without repeating ports, plus Saturday departures for most seven-night sailings
• 98-night/eight segment Australasian Grand Cruise from Auckland to LA
• Cruises beginning and ending in Reyjkavik, Bali, Brisbane, Dublin and Kōbe
• 25% more port days, including cruises without any days at sea
•  Strategic scheduling around local events: Monte Carlo Grand Prix, Seville’s La Fiera de Abril
• More than 85% of voyages with two or more days in port
• Three-day, complimentary pre- or post-cruise Beijing land package with two cruises (one of which also includes three days in Shanghai)
• Increase of 10-night New England/Canada itineraries
• More than 50% increase in shipboard overnight stays in port on embarkation day
• Antarctica for the holidays - Crystal is absorbing the extra cost and planning efforts to meet the new environmental requirements
• Returns to ports less-frequented by Crystal: Murmansk, Russia; the Shetland Islands; Izmir, Turkey; Isle of Man; Cartagena, Spain; Newcastle, Australia; Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadaloupe; General San Martin/Pisco, Peru; Pusan, Korea; Agadir, Morocco; Trogir, Croatia; Savannah and Baltimore, US.
• 15 renowned waterways, including New Zealand’s Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds; Norway’s North Cape and Svartisen Glacier; Glacier Bay, Alaska; the Chilean Fjords; Halong Bay, Vietnam; the Amazon and Saguenay Rivers; and Panama Canal

In all, Crystal Symphony kicks off 2013 with a super-VIP New Year’s fireworks gala in Sydney, then remains in the region, exploring Australia, New Zealand and Asia prior to a European/Mediterranean-focused summer, North American autumn and Central/South American/Antarctic holiday season ending in Chile. 

Crystal Serenity’s 2013 routing begins in the Caribbean before heading to a South American World Cruise, then Europe for most of the year before returning to the Caribbean/Central America for Christmas. 

Early bookings offer maximum savings on 2013 itineraries, including:

• £2,500 per person full World Cruise savings (valid until 28th February)
• Up to £625 per person savings for seven- to 24-night sailings (valid until 28th February or 30th June depending on cruise departure)
• “Save Now, Save Later” - 20% savings on 2014’s World Cruise for booking either the full 2013 World Cruise or segments of it (2014 sailing  must be booked by 30th April 2013)

2013 prices start from £2,384 per person, including “Book Now Savings”, free round-trip air transportation, overseas transfers and all-inclusive accommodation including amenities such as gratuities, fine wines and spirits, specialty restaurants (including the lauded cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa), Open Dining by Reservation®, and stimulating onboard entertainment and enrichment.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history. 

For further information and reservations please call Crystal Cruises on 020 7287 9040 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk.

19 JANUARY 2012, London

Christine Duffy, President and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on behalf of CLIA, the European Cruise Council, and the Passenger Shipping Association today called on the International Maritime Organization to undertake what she termed: 'a comprehensive evaluation from the findings of the Costa Concordia investigation'.

Speaking at the Passenger Ship Safety Conference in London, Christine Duffy emphasised the importance of the evaluation to ensure that: 'the cruise industry remains one of the safest recreational industries globally'.

She added: 'the cruise industry is heavily regulated in compliance with the strict standards of the International Maritime Organization, the UN agency that mandates global standards.'

At the event, Ms Duffy expressed her condolences to those affected by the Costa Concordia tragedy: 'I speak on behalf of the entire cruise line industry when I express my heartfelt condolences to all those affected. As we speak, teams of experts are working hard at the site while formal investigations by the Italian authorities are ongoing'.

After a successful inaugural year of voluntourism around the world, Crystal Cruises is extending its trailblazing “You Care, We Care” programme with new hands-on opportunities throughout 2012. This year, as in 2011, every Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony voyage offers one complimentary shore excursion in which both guests and crew can give back to a local community-in-need, with Crystal handling all the logistics.

Of the more than 45 socially-responsible excursions completed last year, several philanthropic destinations are back on the 2012 calendar, accompanied by new international additions such as:

• Cambodia: Teach children the arts, plus plant a vegetable garden at an orphanage
• British Colombia: Stock, pack and distribute food and toys at a local food bank
• Singapore: Help literacy-challenged children to read
• South Korea: Bring goodwill to a home for underprivileged children

“The feedback from this programme has been incredible, with stories of tears, hugs, pen pals and generosity above and beyond anything we could have hoped for,” says Philip Ordever, Crystal’s Vice President International Sales. “We are thrilled to continue to ‘pay it forward’ as we sail the world in 2012.”

Additional destinations featuring the programme in 2012 include Cartagena, Colombia; Willemstad, Curaçao; Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Livorno, Italy; Athens, Greece; Tallinn, Estonia; Rostock, Germany; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Honolulu; and Boston among others.

In 2011, participants fed homeless donkeys in Antigua; supported conservation efforts at an Oregon state park; tended to rescued sea turtles in Athens; helped garden outside an elderly domicile in Dubrovnik; rehabbed an educational salmon hatchery in Alaska; planted trees in New Zealand and Australia; bonded with disabled adults in Tuscany and the Canary Islands; played with underprivileged children in Uruguay, Peru, St Martin, Rio, Fiji and South Africa; and gathered and distributed food and supplies in Israel, Santa Barbara, Nova Scotia, Boston, Estonia and New Brunswick.

A cornerstone of Crystal Cruises’ culture is its genuine hospitality and service that has been internationally-celebrated for two decades. This spirit of generosity extends to its respectful treatment of the environment, oceans and communities in which it travels.

For further information visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk or to book please click here to find your local ACE travel agent.  

In accordance with Crystal Cruises’ tradition of bringing high-quality, authentic, international experiences to its guests in unique ways, the ultra-luxury line announces the addition of “Chinese comfort food” to its Crystal Serenity cruise ship.

Debuting as a casual dinner option in the ship’s Tastes café, the menu of traditional Chinese food, such as steamed dumplings, noodles, soups, fried rice and vegetables, is a more relaxed, regional dining experience to complement Crystal’s upscale Nobu specialty restaurant. Under the direction of Malaysian chef Jennifer Pei Vun Lee, the programme debuts on Crystal Serenity’s 2012 World Cruise in January.

In development for more than a year and a half, Crystal’s food & beverage team visited dumpling and noodle restaurants throughout Asia, researched head chefs, planned challenging sourcing of ingredients and investigated the necessary equipment for the highest quality execution of the cuisine. 

“Those with sophisticated palettes enjoy exploring specialties from other parts of the world, including the ‘comfort food’ of international destinations,” says Crystal Vice President of International Sales, Philip Ordever. “This simple, but exciting, menu provides something for everyone when, and if, they want to take a break from dinnertime ‘fine dining’ during their cruise. Luxury these days isn’t always about lavish; it’s more about authenticity, which this delivers.”

Among the dim sum-like delicacies on offer are dishes such as Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shiaomai; Steamed Mushroom Vegetarian Dumpling; and Singapore-style Stir-Fried Noodles.

Extraordinary culinary experiences are a hallmark of every Crystal holiday. Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity’s extensive, innovative choice include the ultra-luxury line’s coveted cheese and wine cellars, overseen by on-board, certified cheese and wine sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers-certified); fresh, chef-like cocktails served by certified mixologists; and gourmet dining options at every meal, whether in the Crystal Dining Room, at afternoon tea or in specialty restaurants Prego or Nobu Matsuhisa’s Silk Road and Sushi Bar.

For further information and reservations please call Crystal Cruises on 020 7287 9040 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk

 Our thoughts are with those passengers and crew involved with Costa Concordia. Incidents of this nature are isolated and very rare. Ships’ crews undertake rigorous training, drills and scenarios for emergency situations including the evacuation of a vessel. The ships themselves comply with stringent regulations and procedures from the governing maritime authorities covering every aspect of their build and operation.

While the focus should rightly be on attending to the immediate incident at hand there will, of course, be a full and thorough investigation into the causes of this event and the full cooperation of both the company and the wider industry is assured.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is the title sponsor of the ‘World Indoor Bowls Championships’ at Potters Leisure Resort in Norfolk. The international event – which is held every January – is now the ‘Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines 2012 World Indoor Bowls Championships’. It commences on 13^th January 2012 and will run until 29^th January 2012 inclusive at the five-star Potters Leisure Resort, with live coverage on BBC television for the last week of the campaign, 23^rd to 29^th January 2012 inclusive, as well as international exposure on Eurosport and Sky TV.

 Nathan Philpot, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“This is an excellent opportunity for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to raise awareness of its already popular brand, as the Final of this televised worldwide Indoor Bowls Championships attracted over 1.2 million viewers last year.”

John Potter, Owner of Potters Leisure Limited, said:

"This is great news for the future of the ‘World Indoor Bowls Championships’ and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a perfect fit for Potters. The facilities at Potters are unprecedented around the world and the event has gone from strength to strength since it first came to Norfolk in 1999. Our association with the World Bowls Tour has proved to be a perfect partnership, and we have committed over £3 million in sponsorship and prize money during this time.”

This major sponsorship is part of Fred. Olsen’s marketing push in 2012 in the all-important New Year cruise booking period, which includes a prominent TV campaign aimed at creating demand and driving customers onto the telephone and into agents’ shops.

Fred. Olsen operates four cruise ships and offers worldwide itineraries all year round, and is one of the market leaders in ex-UK cruise departures from a wide range of convenient regional ports.

Find out more about Fred. Olsen Cruises Lines by visiting www.fredolsencruises.com  

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines offers an impressive array of activities on board selected cruises, through its acclaimed enrichment programme, Vistas. This programme – aimed at enhancing and expanding guests’ knowledge and understanding – enabled the cruise line to be named as the winner in the ‘Best Educational Cruise’ category by readers of Cruise International magazine in 2011.

Vistas provides guests with the chance to learn more about a variety of fascinating and stimulating subjects, and is available to all guests at no additional cost (with the exception of a small charge for wine-tasting and materials for watercolour painting). Topics are enormously wide-ranging and include: BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, ‘Antiques’, ‘Wine’, ‘Dance’, ’Gardens’, ‘Choirs at Sea’, ‘Photography’, ‘Pottery’, and much more.

Fred. Olsen’s Vistas cruises are hosted by experts knowledgeable and passionate about their respective subjects. There is an ideal balance of expert lectures, discussions and practical sessions, and the presenters will be only too happy to answer any questions guests may have. Some of the speakers for the 2012 season include: wine expert Jilly Goolden; famed explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell; Antiques Roadshow experts Lars Tharp, Marc Allum, Will Farmer, Paul Viney and Clive Stewart-Lockhart; naturalist, author and TV presenter Tony Soper; and renowned TV correspondent Michael Nicholson– to name but a few.

On Vistas cruises, many guests like to just ‘dip in and dip out’ of talks or demonstrations, whilst others become totally immersed in the subject. Some find that they are inspired to take up a new and fascinating pastime as a result, whilst others revive an interest in a previous hobby.  

You can find our more about Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Vistas 2012programme at www.fredolsencruises-vistas.com This dedicated website includes cruises to destinations around the UK, the Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Northern Europe, and also gives details of what is included in each theme, as well as information and biographies of some of the regular lecturers involved.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com You can book by contacting your local ACE Travel Agent or by calling Reservations on 01473 742424.

Following the launch of “The Iron Lady” – the true story of Margaret Thatcher – Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic are providing their passengers with the chance to join a political debate at sea. Both lines, famed for their line-up of Guest Speakers have experts onboard offering real insight into the world of politics.

Sail with Swan Hellenic on Venice and Adriatic. Cruise from £2,170 per person (based on an inside cabin) and hear first-hand from former Foreign Secretary Rt Hon Douglas Hurd. Hurd served in many different roles within the UK and Northern Island Government but is most famous for serving both Margaret Thatcher and John Major as Foreign Secretary between 1989-95. 

Price includes return flights from a major London airport, transfers and a 15-day voyage departing from Valletta (Malta) – overnight, Dubrovnik (Croatia) – overnight, Korcula (Croatia), Split (Croatia), Trieste (Italy), Venice (Italy), Pula (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro) – overnight, Sarande (Albania), Itea, Delphi (Greece), transit the Corinth Canal, Piraeus (Greece) – overnight x 2. Price is based on 15 August 2012 departure.

Join Voyages of Discovery on the Nordic Natural Wonders cruise from £1,499 per person (based on an inside cabin) to hear Sir Anthony Brenton’s political views. Sir Anthony worked for over 30 years for the British Foreign Office dealing with energy issues and taking charge of preparation for the ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992.

Price includes a 14-day voyage departing from Harwich (UK) and calling at Bergen (Norway), Flam (Norway), Akureyri (Iceland), Isafjordjur (Iceland), Grandarfjordur (Iceland), Reykjavik (Iceland) and Torshavn (Faroe Islands) before returning to Harwich (UK). Price is based on 12 July 2012 departure.

Prices for both cruises include meals, entertainment and gratuities on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees, plus onboard lectures from a team of renowned Guest Speakers.

For more information and to book visit www.swanhellenic.com and call 0844 822 0679 or visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk and call 0844 822 0820.