Greetings!
Sailing Into Spring
The cover of the Spring, 2023 edition of Westways Magazine boldly asserts “The Return of Cruising.” The article illustrates why cruising is better than ever as it points to a wider variety of shore excursions, more stringent health protocols, greener ships, and younger fleets. We can attest to the health protocols that we experienced on our recent voyage to Antarctica. Betty was experiencing some intestinal discomfort, so she went to the medical center. The first thing they did was test her for Covid-19. Then, after testing negative and diagnosing her condition, she was quarantined for 24 hours in our stateroom. Betty had to go back to the medical center the next day to get checked before the quarantine was lifted, and she was tested again for Covid-19 before the quarantine was lifted. The cruise lines are taking medical issues very seriously!
The rebound in travel is so strong, some ports have had to put a limit on the number of ships that can visit in a day. Juneau, for example, will limit Alaska cruise ships to 5 per day.
Another sign of the demand is the resurrection of Crystal Cruises. It is returning to service with completely refurbished ships. The Crystal Serenity will relaunch the brand on July 31 with a voyage from Marseilles to Lisbon. The Crystal Symphony is scheduled to begin service later. The company tagline is “Exceptional at Sea,” and those who have sailed on Crystal previously can attest to the appropriateness of the tagline.
Further evidence of the rebound can be found with Seabourn which will launch two new ships, the Seabourn Venture and the Seabourn Pursuit. These will be smaller, purpose-built expedition vessels with voyages to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the South Pacific from Chile to Melanesia, Ireland, Norway, Greenland, Iceland and the Canadian Arctic.
In early 2024, Princess will launch its latest ship, the Sun Princess. It will feature a three-story dining room which is a first for Princess. The ship will include the most advanced Princess Theater design called Princess Arena. New designs are also included for Alfredo’s Pizzeria, Princess Casino and Crown Grill. Its Mediterranean itineraries are available to reserve now.
Finally, Celestyal has acquired a third ship which will enhance its Greece and Eastern Mediterranean sailings.
A first for any cruise line! Forbes has issued a 4-Star resort-at-sea rating for Celebrity’s Millennium, Flora and Apex. This is the first time Forbes has rated Cruise ships in the Resort Category. In addition, it has given its “Recommend” rating to Celebrity’s Edge and Summit. Interested in sailing on one of these ships?
With all of this activity, you may want to consider any of the three recently added cruise opportunities. First is a July 7, 2023 Eastern Caribbean sailing on the Mariner of the Seas. Second, how about a New Year’s Eve cruise on the Wonder of the Seas departing from Port Canaveral? Finally, Join Us on a French River cruise on Uniworld’s SS Catherine from Arles to Lyon with an extension to Paris. So many good options!!!
So, Where in the World Do You Want to Go?
Betty & Frank Villani
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10 Day Northern Europe Cruise
NCL Prima
Reykjavik to Southampton
June 15 - 25, 2023
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9 PORTS OF CALL
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Isafjordur,Iceland
- Akureyri,Iceland
- Ålesund,Norway
- Olden,Norway
- Bergen,Norway
- Amsterdam,Netherlands
- Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge),Belgium
- London (Southampton),England
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Catalina / Ensenada Cruise
Navigator of the Seas
Roundtrip - Los Angeles
June 26 - 30, 2023
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Cruise the amazing Navigator of the Seas from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico on this 4 night cruise!
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8 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Mariner of the Seas
Round-trip Orlando
July 7 - 15, 2023
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VISITING: Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida
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Join Us!
Western Mediterranean Cruise
Celebrity Reflection
Barcelona to Rome
July 8 -17, 2023
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Join Us! on this 9 night cruise aboard the beautiful Celebrity Reflection!
We'll visit some of our favorite ports, including Provence and Nice, France as well as an overnight in fabulous Florence.
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Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska to Vancouver, Canada
Sapphire Princess
July 19, 2023
Cruisetour Available
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9 Nights - Greek Isles Cruise
Roundtrip from Rome
Odyssey of the Seas
September 15 - 24, 2023
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Visiting these stunning ports:
Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
Naples / Capri, Italy
Santorini, Greece
Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
Mykonos, Greece
Athens (Piraeus), Greece
Chania (Souda), Crete
Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
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Pharaohs & Pyramids
Nile River Cruise
Roundtrip - Cairo
September 25 - October 6, 2023
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Uncover the secrets of Egypt and see the pyramids, explore the Temple of Karnak's 136 soaring pillars, Visit Queen Nefertari's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. All with expert Egyptologists on this amazing cruisetour aboard a magnificent Viking ship. |
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Other dates are available for this wonderful cruisetour, but they sell out quickly. Contact us today to book yours!
Click on the video below for some highlights.
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11 Day Cruise
Asia: Osaka, Okinawa & Shimizu
Norwegian Jewel
Tokyo to Taipei
October 11 - 30, 2023
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11 PORTS OF CALL
- Tokyo,Japan
- Mount Fuji (Shimizu),Japan
- Kyoto (Osaka),Japan
- Hiroshima,Japan
- Miyazaki (Aburatsu),Japan
- Nagasaki,Japan
- Naze (Oshima Island),Japan
- Naha,Okinawa
- Miyakojima (Okinawa),Japan
- Hualien,Taiwan
- Taipei (Keelung),Taiwan
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Join Us!
7 Day Mexican Riviera Cruise
Navigator of the Seas
Roundtrip: Los Angeles
November 20 - 27, 2023
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Please Join Us! for this amazing Thanksgiving cruise!
3 Ports of Call:
Cabo San Lucas
Mazatlán
Puerto Vallarta
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8 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Wonder of the Seas
Round-trip Orlando
December 30, 2023 -
January 7, 2024
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VISITING: Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida
Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida
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Join Us!
8 Night Cruise
Eastern Caribbean Antilles
Valiant Lady
Roundtrip - Miami
January 13 - 21, 2024
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Join Us! on our first ever Virgin Voyages cruise from Miami to Puerta Plata, San Juan, St Croix, and the Beach Club at Bimini!
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10 Night Cruise
New Zealand / Australia
Celebrity Edge
Auckland to Sydney
February 15 - 25, 2024
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8 Stunning Ports
New Zealand:
Auckland
Tauranga
Napier
Picton
Christchurch
Dunedin
Dusky Sound - Cruising
Doubtful Sound - Cruising
Milford Sound - Cruising
Australia:
Eden
Sydney
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11 Night Australia Cruise
Celebrity Edge
Roundtrip: Sydney
February 25 - March 7, 2024
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Make this a back-to-back cruise with the above cruise from New Zealand, or take one of these cruises!
5 Amazing ports:
Sydney
Airlie Beach
Cairns
Port Douglas
Willis Island - Cruising
Brisbane
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Join Us!
Uniworld River Cruise
Burgundy & Provence, France
May 19 - 26, 2024
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Join Us! as we follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin on an exquisite journey of southern France. Cruise the Rhone and Saone rivers from Lyon to Arles, visiting Avignon, Viviers, Tournon and Macon with an extension to Paris.
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