As you start making 2014 cruise bookings for your clients, here are a few new excursions, programs and ships to keep top of mind.
If your client plans on sailing on Crystal Cruises’ March 2014 Asia-to-Africa World Cruise segment, they can take advantage of a new, complimentary 3-night Extended Land Program to Thailand and Cambodia.
The land program is complimentary for travelers sailing on the Temples & Safaris itinerary, and starts March 7, 2014 before cruising from Singapore to Cape Town on Crystal Serenity, with excursions in Bangkok before flying to Siem Reap, Cambodia. In Cambodia, travelers will have the chance to experience landmarks such as Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest religious monument; the Grand Palace, the home and ceremonial site for Kings of Siam since 1782; the Angkor Night Market, a marketplace open until midnight filled with more than 100 shops; and the Khmer Ruins, which includes the Bayon Temple and Ta Prohm, a temple in the jungle.
“Together, this land/cruise program offers the best of all bucket lists: a fully hosted immersion into the ancient, artistic and spiritual history of Thai and Cambodian cultures, a choice of several optional safaris in Africa, a mix of unusual destinations, and a substantial piece of Crystal’s coveted World Cruise, filled with glorious days at sea,” says Thomas Mazloum, Crystal’s senior v.p., operations.
Fares start at $7,520 pp, including $700 in savings when booked by Oct. 31. The land program includes meals, inter-Asia transportation, a night at The Peninsula Bangkok, and a 2-night stay at the five-star Sokha Angkor Wat Resort. For more information, call (800) 446-6620 or visit crystalcruises.com.
Starting in January, Norwegian Cruise Line will offer new Hawaii and Europe Cruisetours.
The 4-day O’ahu Explorer Cruisetour will be available to travelers sailing on a 7-day inter-island Hawaii cruise on board the Pride of America. The tour takes travelers to North Shore and Pipeline, with a stop at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Guests will also head to Pearl Harbor and explore the various memorials and museums, as well as visit the Kualoa Ranch and see the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout.
Rates start at $939 pp and include a flower lei greeting at the airport; escort to the hotel transfer; baggage collection and delivery to and from the hotel to the cruise ship; transfers to Pride of America on embarkation day; customized tours and park admissions with local tour guides; and hotel accommodations at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.
When travelers book in October, they can earn up to $500 in onboard credit per stateroom. Call for rates. For more information, call (888) NCL-CRUISE or visit ncl.com.
Meanwhile, Viking Cruises is launching additional new river ships in 2014, bringing the amount from 12 up to 14 vessels, all of which will sail on Viking’s Europe itineraries.
“We are working hard to match supply with demand, and with these new builds, we have the best designed, newest and most extensive offer of ships on the rivers—more than double all our competitors combined,” says Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “More than ever, travelers want experiences that bring them closer to the destination, which is why we continue to design ships and itineraries with destinations and enrichment as the focus.”
In addition, Viking is launching a new ocean product, Viking Ocean Cruises, in May 2015 with its first ship, Viking Star. The all-verandah ship will accommodate 928 passengers, sailing in Scandinavia and the Baltic, and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. A second ship will launch in 2016.
Call for rates. For more information, call (877) 668-4546 or visit vikingrivercruises.com. For more information on the Viking experience, read the Viking Aegir onboard review.
